The Crimson Eye Keeper
by uzai sagi
Summary: Mandy Kuso was a girl who dreamed to become the best duelist like her mother once was. But when the Crimson Dragon gives her the crimson eyes, her life completely changes after her 15th birthday. YuseixOC some JackxOC
1. The Day Before a Birthday

**This is the second fanfic I've done this past month. Ain't that great? Well, that's not really important. **

**Dislcaimer: I don't own shit, except my OC's**

**Read and review. Or don't. I don't care**

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><p>Mandy's alarm went off and she slammed it in irritation. She got up and stretched, while yawning. She rubbed her eyes and reached for her glasses. As she put them on, she is greeted by one of her mothers duel monsters, KittyBat, a little kitty-cat with bat wings.<p>

"Mmmm... Morning, Kitty," she greeted. KittyBat mewled in response, making Mandy giggle. She got up from her bed and walked over to her closet. She grabbed the clothes she usually wore: a blue long-sleeved shirt that was covered by a black t-shirt that had her favorite band name on it. (**A/N** Just imagine your favorite bands name on it. Why? I'm too lazy to think of a band name) She had on black jeens and black tennishoes. She looked in the mirror and sighed. It was the glasses she was sighing at.

"I doubt I'm ever gonna find a new look for my birthday tomorrow." Yes, Mandy's birthday _was_ tomorrow, and she doubts she'll ever find a new look.

"Mandy!" her dad shouted from down the hall. "Hurry up! Or your gonna have cold eggs and bacon for breakfast!"

"Coming, Dad!" she shouted back. "C'mon, KittyBat." KittyBat mewled and followed her out her bedroom door.

Her dad, Tom Kuso, was making eggs and bacon in the kitchen. Mandy walked over to the bar and sat down on one of the stools.

"So, you ready for school?"

"Yep."

"Did your homework?"

"Check."

Tom set down a plate of eggs and bacon infront of her and she started eating. "You sure you're ready for your final exams in about four months?"

"Still working on it."

"Alright, I hope you don't get into trouble like last time." Mandy sighed at what her father said. The last time she had gotten in trouble was because of Lisa. Ever since Jack Atlas had taken a liking to her, Lisa had been harassing her.

Her dad worked for Jack Atlas at the Kiba Dome, where her mother did turbo dueling when she was the queen of dueling, until the day of the accident. The only things they have left of her mother were her duel monsters and duel runner.

By the time they had finished their meal, they got up and walked out to her dad's car. As they were driving to her school, Mandy's phone started ringing.

"Hello?" she asked. "Alexa, I can't hear you. What? Ugh! Dad, I think I need a new phone."

"Well, what type of phone would you like?"

"Are you asking because of my birthday?"

"No, I'm just curious." Mandy gave her dad a skeptical look, but said nothing and just looked out the window. As soon as they arrived at the school, Tom turned to his daughter.

"Just to let you know, I might be working a little late tonight. Rex Goodwin wants me to make some adjustments to the Kiba Dome."

"Great, late night workings for Mr. Evil," she muttered sarcasticly.

"Mandy, he's not evil. This man has been very good to us since your mom had passed."

"There's just something about that man I don't like, Dad. I don't trust him."

"He's willing to put enough money to your college fund while you practice to become a better duelist. He's been willing to help-"

"You don't know what I think of him, Dad. I know what he's willing to do for us, but I think it's just out of pity. Marsha thinks so, too, you know."

Tom sighed at the mention of his sister. Of course she would agree with Mandy, she had helped raise her since Chloe had died.

"Well, I'm not gonna arue with you about this. So I'll promise not to trust him _too much._" Mandy looked at him with a smile.

"Thanks, Dad." She leaned in and pecked his cheek in departure.

"I love you."

"I love you, too." She opens the door and walks out. As she was headed for the doors, she heard a _honk _from the car.

"Don't get into any trouble!" She looked at her dad in emberassment.

"Yeah, real fatherly of you, Dad." He winked and saluted her then drove off. Mandy let out a small sigh. Her dad can be really emberassing sometimes.


	2. Flower Deliveries During Classes

**Chapter 2 is up suckaz! Sorry, felt the need to do that.**

**Read and review. Or don't. I don't care-.-**

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><p>Mandy walked down the halls with her two best friends, Alexa and Cayenne. For some reason they were talking to eachother on the phone rather than talk face to face.<p>

"I can't believe I got in trouble for putting up flyers of-gulp-Jack Atlas, because of Lisa," Mandy groaned.

"I don't see why she would put the blame on you when it's really obvious that you don't even like Jack," Cayenne responded.

"Too bad she doesn't see it," Alexa remarked. "Even if she did, she'd still try to find ways to humiliate you."

Mandy sighed in frustration. "I just hope she won't come after me tomorrow."

"Yeah, it's your birthday tomorrow, isn't it?" Alexa remembered.

"Are you excited?" Cayenne asked.

"Kinda. I just hope my dad won't get me anything emberassing."

"Oh, I'm sure he won't give you anything _too _emberassing."

"Alexa's right. You shouldn't doubt your dad so much, Mandy."

"Well, I doubt he won't trust Goodwin too much. That man is not the type of person who would just help out a man to put money into his daughters college fund."

"Yeah, I agree. There's something really off about that guy."

"I heard that he's into ancient history, and he's learning about a legendary dragon. The- something dragon... I don't know the name, but I'm sure that dragon is legendary."

"Well, I know one thing about my dad's _boss_ , and it's that he's a phony."

"Well, let's not worry about that. We have class right now."

They hung up their phones and walked into their classroom. As they were in the middle of a class essay, the teacher recieves a call from the front office.

"Miss Kuso," Mandy looked up. "You are needed in the front office." Mandy got up and walked to the office. As soon as she opened the door she saw Mina at the desk with flowers from _him._

"Good afternoon, Mandy," Mina greeted.

"Hey, Mina," Mandy replied.

"Jack wanted me to drop by and give you these." Mina handed out the flowers, but Mandy looked away in distaste.

"Seriously? More flowers? What's next? An invitation to some fancy dinner?"

Mina smiled in a way that said 'sorry you have to go through this over and over again'. "No, they're just flowers." Unfortunately, her reassurance didn't make Mandy feel better.

"Mina, how many times has Jack sent me flowers during school?"

"About more than a hundred. Why?"

"Because he should know that I'm not interested in his flowers and that if I take them home with me, I'll just burn 'em like I do with every bouquet of flowers he gives me almost every twenty-four hours."

Mina knew this irritated Mandy, but she also knew that Jack liked her and wanted the flowers to be sent to her as soon as possible. What she didn't know was that if Jack kept this up, Mandy might file a restraining order against him. Of course, she might just do it anyway.

"You don't want them, do you?" Mina asked, already knowing the answer.

"No," Mandy said. "Just give 'em to some random chick from another class, and if Jack asks tell him I said the flowers were as lovely as always."

Mina nodded in agreement, making Mandy smile. Hey, she knows that she's making her lie, but it's better than having Jack bother her about it.

"Anyway, I gotta head back to class. See ya, Mina."

"Goodbye, Mandy." And with that Mandy walked away to her class, while Mina went to a random classroom and handed the flowers to some random girl.

Once Mandy was back in her classroom, she took her seat between Alexa and Cayenne. Alexa passed her a note, which she gladly took and read.

_What happened at the office? Did you get in trouble?- Alexa_

Mandy wrote underneath Alexa's question, then handed it back to her.

_Nah, it was just Mina delivering flowers for Jack, as usual- Mandy_

Alexa wrote underneath Mandy's explanation, then tossed the note to Cayenne so she could get into the conversation. Cayenne wrote something down, then passed it to Mandy.

_Man, that guy just doesn't give up, does he?- Alexa_

_If anything, he could be sending these flowers to Lisa- Cayenne_

Mandy wrote on the note, then passed it to Cayenne, who wrote her comment then tossed it to Alexa, who wrote then passed it to Mandy.

_Yeah, like that would get her to stop bothering me. I don't know who's worse, Jack or Lisa?- Mandy_

_I bet word will come out eventually saying that Jack was sending you more flowers- Cayenne_

_Where are the flowers, anyway?- Alexa_

Mandy wrote then passed to Alexa, who wrote then passed back. Mandy then wrote and passed to Cayenne, who wrote and passed back.

_I told Mina to give the flowers to some random chick from another class- Mandy_

_Wow, smart move. Think Jack will find out?- Alexa_

_Yeah, I doubt that, after I told Mina to lie to him saying that the flowers were 'Lovely as usual'- Mandy_

_Lol You've gotten better with the whole Jack problem with your tricks- Cayenne_

Mandy wrote then passed to Alexa, who wrote then tossed to Cayenne, who wrote then tossed back, who wrote then tossed back, who wrote then passed to Mandy.

_Well, like my mom always said. "If you can't get someone to stop bothering you, might as well give 'em a reason to stop. Lie then let him find out on his own."- Mandy_

_Yeah, you're mom was a genius when it came to this sort of stuff- Alexa_

_I hope Lisa doesn't find out, though- Cayenne_

_Yeah, those flowers Jack send could cause a major issue for you and Lisa, and she's just as much of a cause of trouble as Jack- Alexa_

_Plus, she'll make your life as miserable as possible- Cayenne_

Mandy got her friends to lean in over her desk a little so they could see what she was gonna write next.

_Thanks alot, Jack!- Mandy_

All three girls chuckled and then got back to work before the bell rang for their next class.


	3. Enemies and Memories

**Here's chapter 3. Hope you like it. **

**Disclaimer: besides my oc's, I own nothing**

**Read and review. Or don't. I don't care-.-**

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><p>As Mandy and her friends were walking to their seperate classes, Lisa and her followers watched Mandy as she chatted and laughed with Alexa and Cayenne.<p>

"Hi, Mandy," Lisa greeted mockingly. They stopped at their tracks and Mandy sighed.

_'Great. Here comes the queen of misery,'_ Mandy thought miserably. They looked at Lisa with a cold stare.

"Hey, Lisa," Mandy greeted coldly, earning a smirk from her enemy.

"I heard Jack was sending you more flowers," Lisa inquired. "I hope he's not pitying you because you don't have a boyfriend."

"If you like him so much, why don't you just marry him, ya bleach blonde freak," Alexa mocked. Lisa growled in irritation.

"My hair is _not _bleached blonde, it's a natural blonde!" she exclaimed.

"Riiight," Alexa said sarcasticly. "Let me guess, you hated being a brunette so you decided to get it bleached because you thought Jack has a thing for blondes."

"He does have a thing for blondes!" Lisa yelled. "And I happened to be a blonde, unlike your little glasses friend."

Mandy's eyebrow twitched in irritation. Damn, Lisa just doesn't know when to quit, does she?

"Well, I don't like blonde hair. Last time I checked, blondes weren't the brightest in the world," she remarked. Cayenne and Alexa looked at her offendedly. "Except you guys." They smiled after she reassured them.

Lisa, however, was as red as a tomatoe. Mandy had really crossed the line this time.

"Why you! I'll never forget this, you little tramp! I'll make you wish you never met Ja-"

"Bleach," Mandy interupted, "I regretted that a long time ago." And with that, they walked away, leaving Lisa dumbfounded in the hall.

Once the day was over, Mandy and her friends walked out through the doors.

"Did you see the look on her face?" Alexa asked. All three of them started laughing at the little incident they had with Lisa and her followers.

"Yeah, I should've taken a picture. It'll last longer," Mandy replied, making them laugh harder.

"Wow, Mandy, you're becoming more like your mom everyday," Cayenne said.

"And the nickname 'Bleach' was genius," Alexa complemented. Then they heard the sound of a duel runner coming their way to the school.

"Oh no," Mandy groaned. "Just my luck."

"Don't tell me," Alexa said in a worried tone.

"No need. Here he comes," Cayenne said as worried as Alexa.

Yes, Jack Atlas was coming to Mandy's school to see her. Just like every other day, he would come by and greet Mandy and her friends. For Mandy, it was more like bug the crap out of her.

Jack pulled up in front of the school, and took off his helmet as he looked at Mandy.

"Hello, Mandy," Jack greeted. "and good day to you lovely ladies."

"Hi, Jack," Mandy mumbled. Jack smiled and got off his runner and walked over to her and her friends.

"Mina told me that you liked the flowers as usual," Jack said. "I knew you would. Gardenias have always been your favorite, haven't they?"

"Yeah," Mandy muttered. "Always."

"Okay, Mister, we gotta go. We're really busy right now, 'cause we've got this class project we need to do and we don't want to risk getting a failing grade. So, goodbye," Alexa said snappishly.

"That's a nice trick, Alexa," Jack commented. "You should try it on an enemy who just might bother you in the future."

Alexa growled at him, ready beat the crap outa him if it wasn't for Mandy.

"Kinda like you," Mandy muttered.

"Say, Mandy," Jack said to her. "How 'bout we go out to dinner tonight."

"Sorry, I have plans. Maybe next time." Jack frowned at her answer, but nodded none the less.

"Alright, I better get going. I can't keep Goodwin waiting too long now, can I?" Jack turned and walked toward his runner before facing Mandy. "I'll see you later, Mandy." And with that, he got on his runner and left. Mandy sighed in relief. God, he just won't leave her alone, will he?

"Whew. I'm glad he's gone," Mandy remarked.

"Yeah, I was just about to pound the snot outa him," Alexa said.

"And the good thing is that he didn't stay long as he did last time," Cayenne matter of factly. They all nodded in agreement and head home.

Once Mandy arrived back home, she was greeted by KittyBat, who mewled and rubbed it's face affectionately against hers.

"Okay, hello to you, too," Mandy said, laughing. KittyBat mewled in response and grabbed her glasses playfully.

"Hey, I need those!" she yelled chasing after her duel monster. Mandy chased KittyBat throughout the halls, even though she kept on bumping into a few walls she managed to get her glasses back from stubborn yet playful cat monster.

"KittyBat, I need these glasses!" KittyBat only mewled and flew around the house. Obviously seeing Mandy hit the walls because she was as blind as a bat was very amusing to the monster.

Mandy sighed. "You are such a little devil."

Mandy sat down at the bar and did her homework, then studied for her final exams that was coming in like four months. Hey, if ya want a good grade, might as well study early. KittyBat sat on one of the stools next to her and watched her study.

KittyBat then got an idea. The monster grabbed Mandy's pencil in its mouth and flew around the kitchen. Mandy sighed, her monster was really starting to get a little... What is it? Attention hungry? I don't know.

"Okay, KittyBat, I'll stop for now." KittyBat mewled in joy. "But when I'm studying tomorrow, I need to be completely focused. Understand? That means you can't bother me." KittyBat fowned, but nodded. Mandy smiled and srtoked the monsters fur, making it pur.

Then the phone started ringing. Mandy walked over to it and answered.

"Hello?" Mandy asked.

"Hey, Mandy," Alexa said on the other line.

"Oh, hey, Lexa."

"You have any plans?"

"No."

"Good, 'cause we should go to the Kiba Dome."

"I don't know, Lexa. My dad's working late because _Goodwin_ wants him make some _adjustments_ to the Kiba Dome." Mandy had said Rex's name with so much venom, it could probably kill a man.

"Oh, come on. He won't even know you're gone." Mandy bit her lip, unsure if she should go out without her dad finding out.

"Sure, I'll be there."

"Great! I'll call Cayenne and let her know."

"'Kay. See ya."

"Bye, Mandy." And with that she hung up the phone. Mandy went into the bathroom to brush the tangles out of her hair, so she won't have to do it after she came home. As she looked in the mirror, she looked at the yellow mark that looks like a shooting star on her right cheek. Her mother had a mark just like this when she was still around.

Chloe had been a Satelite when she was younger and left for New Domino City to become the best duelist, and to also get supplies for the bridge that was going to connect the Satelite and New Domino. When she had gotten there, she had been arrested and was given a mark of a criminal. Goodwin had saved her from getting thrown in jail by offering her a chance to become the champion duelist. Reluctantly, she accepted. Then once she had accomplished her dream of becoming a dueling champion in New Domino and returned to the Satelite with the supplies she needed, Tom had followed her for a story about her for the newspaper. When they met, he fell in love with Chloe and helped her throughout her rough times. Alot of people at the Satelite admired Chloe's determination and kind heart. She had given them hope when she became the first Satelite to ever become a champion duelist.

When Tom had confessed his feelings for Chloe, she returned his affections and had their wedding at the Satelite. Why? Because she had a family there. The Satelite was her home and the people there were her family. Tom had been there for her duels and had never left her side. Then she started rejecting her challenges, making everyone think that she had given up dueling for good. Soon they discovered that Chloe was in labor and could not duel, due to her pregnancy.

Then Chloe gave birth to a healthy baby girl and named her Mandy. Chloe and Tom had taken their daughter to Statelite, and had caught everyone's attention. When they had discovered that Chloe was pregnant with Mandy, they couldn't help be happy and excited that she was starting a family of her own with Tom.

When Mandy had turned four, Chloe decided to finish her last duel and then retire to finish the bridge. When she was about to win, her runner had crashed and she died. The day of her death was devastating for not only Mandy and Tom, but the Satelite as well. Chloe had given them hope that the future for the Satelite would change, but now that she has passed there was nothing to hope for.

Mandy had idolized her mother greatly, and had made a promise to finish the bridge when she became the champion duelist. Mandy was determined to keep that promise no matter what the cost. She had visited the Satelite many times with Alexa, Carly, and Cayenne when they had their own girl group called "The Crimson Dragon Squad". Once her dad had found out about it, he gave her the mark of a criminal. She didn't commit any crime, he just wanted to make sure that she was safe.

Mandy didn't mind having the mark. In fact, it gave her pride. Every time she looks in the mirror, she could see her mother through herself. All it needed to complete the resemblance was the mark that looked like a shooting star across her right cheek, the same mark her mother had.

Then Mandy left the bathroom and walked out the door to meet her friends at the Kiba Dome. She hadn't been there since the runner accident, but now she was going back. Once she gets there, she's going to mark her place and yell that New Domino City will soon meet their new champion.


	4. Going Back to the Kaiba Dome

**Chapter 4. Don't like. Screw you! I'm a great writer!**

**Disclaimer: Besides my oc's, I own nothing.**

**Read and review. Or don't. I don't care-.-**

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><p>Mandy and her friends walked down the streets toward the Kaiba Dome and haven't even noticed Jack driving past them. Surprisingly, he didn't notice them either, but that was considered a good thing.<p>

When they finally arrive, Alexa cracks the code and they bust in. Walking around looking for that big light switch (I have no clue what those things are called) Cayenne finds it and turns on the lights.

The Kaiba Dome was amazing! Mandy hadn't been here since the accident, but it felt good to be back in the place where her mother claimed her first victory. Soon, she will be the one who will have her first victory.

"Wow!" They exclaimed in excitement.

"This place is awesome!" Alexa commented.

"It's bigger than when I saw it on t.v.," Cayenne said. Mandy couldn't help but smile and imagine the crowd cheering her name as she won her battle.

"It's been so long since I've been here," Mandy mentioned. "Ever since Mom died, I didn't know if I would ever come back to this place. But she would've wanted me to be strong and face my fear, no matter how awful the past is. We must always think of the future."

Her friends smiled at her new found determination. They were proud of her for coming back to the Kaiba Dome, even if it was the one place she watched her mother die in.

"That was her motto," she continued. "'Look not toward the past, but stride to the future.' That's what I'm gonna do." Mandy raised her hand in front of her and clenched her fist in determination. "I won't look toward the past, but stride to the future." She then punched the air and slightly yelled. "I'll win my battle against Jack and finish that bridge! For the Satellite! For Mom!"

Her friends punched the air and cheered for her. They then heard the sound of duel runners coming toward the entrance.

"Oh no," Cayenne exclaimed. "I think it's Trudge!"

"Hide!" Mandy yelled, making Cayenne turn off the lights and they ran toward the audience stands (I have no clue what they're called) and hid behind the glass that curved over the road for turbo-dueling.

As they waited for Trudge to show up, they become surprised to see that it was Jack Atlas who was followed by a strange man with spikey black hair with yellow streaks. Mandy looked at him with interest. Did Jack know this guy?

"This duel dome is impressive isn't it?" Jack asked. "Television just doesn't do it's justice. Now imagine it filled with thousands of adoring fans, all of them chanting your name, cheering you on. But that's something you're never gonna experience, Yusei." Mandy glared at Jack as he talked coldly toward Yusei. "'Cause after this duel, the only people cheering you on will be your loser friends back at the Satellite, and that's if they don't all turn their backs on you once you return without their Stardust Dragon."

The lights turn back as Jack pulled out the Stardust Dragon. Mandy growled.

_'I knew it!' _she thought. _'I knew he was a thief and a liar!' _Yes, Mandy knew that Jack Atlas was a fake from the first moment she met him and saw him duel. She knew that Stardust Dragon had belonged to someone else, and to find out that he took it from someone from the Satellite just enraged her.

"I wish I could see the looks on their faces when you try to explain to them how you had their card, but got greedy and turned it down in order to duel me. You're gonna regret ever coming here, Yusei, 'cause I'm gonna beat you with your own card, and once I do, you're never gonna see it again."

Mandy looked sadly at Yusei. So that card belongs to him? How could Jack take away what doesn't belong to him? Her question had already come to her when she first saw the Stardust Dragon in action. It was for fame and fortune. Jack Atlas had once lived among the Satellites and stole the Stardust Dragon from Yusei to get to New Domino City and become a champion.

Mandy sent another glare toward Jack, who still didn't notice her and her friends. Her mother had escaped the Satellite herself, but _she_ never _stole_ anyone else's special cards just for _fame and fortune_. She used her own cards and gained her victory by believing in each and every one of those cards. Mandy did that, and she won all of her duels with Lisa and anybody else who challenged her.

Jack put the card back in his deck. "Now let's get this duel started." Mandy and her friends watched as they got on their duel runners and she got a worried feeling.

_'I hope he wins his dragon back,'_ Mandy thought worriedly, biting her thumb.

Jack looked back at Yusei. "Now then try not to get scared, will ya? This course can be really rough on first timers."

Then they activated their duel modes. _Duel mode activated._ The background began to change from it's original outdoor color, to violet, blue, and some green.

The timer started counting and then they both yelled, "Let's ride!" And sped off. This was going to be both interesting and ugly for their secret audience.


	5. The Blast From the Past Part 1

**Chapter 5 now up. Sorry it took me so long. I was on a week long trip.**

**Read and review. Or don't. I don't care-.-**

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><p>Mandy and the other girls watched Jack and Yusei ride across the road, Mandy paying close attention to the duel.<p>

"I always did enjoy dueling with you, Yusei," Jack said. "We've used the same cards since we were kids. And this, old friend, is gonna be a trip down memory lane."

Yusei pulled out a card and put it faced down. "Here's to history. I summon Quilbolt Hedgehog(Def 800) in defense mode!" Qulibolt Hedgehog is summoned and turns blue, meaning he is in defense mode.

"Well," Jack said with a smirk, "how's that a blast from the past." He pulls out a card. "As is this this. My Mad Archfiend(Atk 1800)!"

_'Oh man,'_ Mandy thought worriedly. _'This isn't good.'_

_When Mad Archfiend attacks a monster in defense mode, if it's attack is greater than the monster's defense points,the opponant still takes_ _damage._

"Well, Yusei, just like old times. Now, Mad Archfiend, put out that Quilbolt Hedgehog!" Mad Archfiend attacked Quilbolt Hedgehog annd is destroid. "Hah! You're starting the duel the way it ended in our last duel. Losing you're precious life points!"

Yusei loses some life points, making Mandy gave him a saddened look.

_'I knew that was coming,'_ she thought.

"You're going to regret doing that, Jack," Yusei warned.

"The only thing I'm going to regret," Jack responded. "is not having this duel on television. Not having the millions of adoring fans cheering for me. They deserve to witness my greatest duel yet!"

This seemed to make Mandy angry and she scowled at Jack. "Of course, that's all he ever cares about."

"I hope he'll hang in there," Cayenne said worriedly.

"If he doesn't, he might end up back in the Satellite Sector," Alexa commented.

"No," Mandy said bitterly. "He'll end up in the Facility." All three girls became sad at Mandy's point. They knew she was right, and couldn't argue with it.

Meanwhile, Goodwin, Mina, and Lazar were watching everything from the Elite Sector Security. (I have no clue what that place is called so got off my back!)

Lazar caught sight Mandy and her friends on one of the security cameras and smiled.

"My, my," he said, drawing Goodwin's attention. "It seems that Ms. Kuso and her little friends broke into the Kaiba Dome without having Mr. Atlas and Yusei Fudo noticing." Goodwin and Mina looked at the video of Mandy, Alexa, and Cayenne watching the duel.

"What is she doing?" Goodwin asked. "I thought she was supposed to be at home." Mina looked worriedly at mandy and her friends, hoping that Goodwin won't send someone to take them away during the duel.

"It seems that the girls had broken into the Dome before Mr. Atlas had ever arrived," Lazar explained. "She's becoming more like her mother everyday."

"So it seems," Goodwin commented. "I bet Jack will be more than pleased to see that Ms. Kuso is watching one of his greatest duels."

Yusei had already taken some of Jack's life points when he had both Speed Warrior and Jump Warrior in attack mode. Jack only had amused smiled.

"Remember how you said you saved me, Yusei?"

Yusei became confused by this sudden question. "Yes?"

"Well, the whole thing was a set up to get me close to your runner, and that dragon card was an added bonus."

"That is a lie!"

"Wishful thinking, Yusei. See, I knew what your runner was capable of. When I saw an opportunity, I took it."

_'How could I be so blind?' _Yusei thought, making Mandy gasp and put her hand on her mouth in shock.

_'Jack, how could you?' _she thought. _'All that just to be on top?'_ She then scowled at him. _'Well, when I beat you, I'll make sure you give back that card! But let's see if Yusei can make it.'_

She could hear the soft whimper from Stardust Dragon within Jack's deck. Mandy could tell that the dragon wanted to be with it's true master again and used some psychic communication to calm it down.

_'Don't worry, Stardust, you'll be with him again. Just be patient.' _Mandy's reassurance seemed to calm the dragon down and she smiled, quite proud of herself.

Jack reached out toward his face down card. "They say the truth will set you free, but in your case, it's gonna cost ya. And by activating my Space Gate trap card, you're never gonna get your precious Stardust Dragon back."

"See, Mr. Goodwin," Lazar said. "It's only a matter of time before Mr. Atlas wins."

Goodwin paid close attention to Mandy's reactions toward Jack, and could see that it was nothing but pure hatred.

Jack began to laugh. "Well, Yusei, what's the hold up. I have a need... for speed." Jack turned his runner around to face Yusei. "Yusei, once I win, I'm sending you back to the Satellite!"

_'Oh no!' _Mandy thought in dismay. _'And he came so far, too!_' Stardust Dragon began to whimper again, and she whispered soothing words in comfort.

Not long after a few rounds, Jack summoned out Stardust Dragon. Mandy had to admit, the dragon was beautiful in many ways, but it looked even more beautiful when you're seeing it in reality.

Jack began laughing, but Stardust Dragon seemed to whimper at having being forced to go against its former master. Mandy whispered soothing words in comfort, which seemed to annoy Red Dragon Archfiend. Mandy only glared at it, making it growl but he left it alone.

"Well, you wanted to see your precious Stardust Dragon again? Well, here's your wish, but you know what they say. Be careful what you wish for." And with that, Jack ended his talk with a laugh. Mandy bit her thumb in worry for Yusei. Sure she didn't know him, but she hoped he would win Stardust Dragon back.


	6. The Blast From the Past Part 2

**Sorry it's taking me so long with this story. I'm having to watch the episodes over again to get specific details.**

**Disclaimer: Besides my oc's, I don't own shit.**

**Read and review. Or don't. I don't care-.-**

* * *

><p>Jack and Yusei were continuing their duel, unaware that Mandy and her friends were secretly watching. The dark haired girl with glasses, because she was as blind as a bat, had been biting her thumb every time Yusei would make a risky move. She had paid close attention to Jack's duels and has thought of many strategies to beat him if she ever got the chance. Stardust Dragon had whimpered when it attacked it's true master, but was calmed down by Mandy's soothing words.<p>

"Come on now, Yusei," Jack exclaimed. "I thought you were going to show me what you're made of. Why are you acting like that scared little kid I knew back then?"

_'It's called strategy,'_ both Yusei and Mandy thought.

"Why don't you just give up already, Yusei?"

"Not a chance," Yusei exclaimed, as he draws a card. "I summon Sonic Chick(ATK 300/ DEF 300) in defense mode!"

_When Sonic Chick is summoned to the field, and if the opponants monster has higher attack points, it can not be destroyed._

"Just like back at the schoolyards," Jack commented. "Always spending you're time with _chickens_."

"Well, at least this _chicken_ isn't gonna double-cross his best friend and then go sneak off at night," Yusei countered back. "In fact, this_ chicken_ is sticking around the halls."

"Well said," Alexa commented. "What do you think of this, Mandy?"

"I think," she replied, "that Jack is a thief and a liar. Most of all, a fake. In fact, I knew that from the first moment I saw him. I knew that Stardust belonged to someone else and it killed me to see it unhappy without it's true master."

"Wow," Cayenne said, amazed that Mandy would know Jack's bad side. "I never thought he would be the type to do something like that. Well I did, but not to his best friend."

"Some people like him are just full of surprises, Cay. Jack's no different."

Red Dragon Archfiend seemed to be listening to the girls conversation and growled at their insults toward his master, as if saying that it was better than being stuck in the Satellite. Stardust Dragon seemed to growl at the other dragon, as if trying to defend Mandy and stating that Yusei was Jack's friend and he had no right to take what was not his.

"Mr. Atlas is fabulous," Mina commented. "He's controling two dragons with so much skill."

"Well, what did you expect from the best?" Lazar asked sarcasticly.

_'If what I hope happens, somehing amazing,' _Goodwin thought. _'I wonder if Ms. Kuso will have a part in this little match.'_

Once Red Dragon Archfiend was given a little boost, Yusei did something no one would ever predict.

"I use the spell card Harmonial Mirror!" Mandy gasped. She knew that card and what it could do, which brought a little glee to her heart. "You see when you summon a synchroe monster, I can use Harmonial Mirror to have that monster fight by my side." Harmonial Mirror reflected on Stardust Dragon. "Welcome back old friend."

Stardust Dragon roared in joy as it returned to it's masters side once again, making Mandy almost shout in complete happiness. Unfortunately, her friends let out their shouts of happiness, glad they weren't loud.

"Woohoo!" Alexa shouted. "In your face, Jack Atlas! How's that for a duelist!"

"He did it!" Cayenne exclaimed. "He got Stardust Dragon back!"

"Hold on, guys," Mandy warned. "Don't get so excited just yet. He still has to beat Jack in order to win his card back for good."

Her friends nodded in agreement, forgetting that he would have to win this duel first.

"Hmph. No biggy," Jack commented carelessly. "It's like I said, I don't need it anymore."

Mandy rolled her hazel eyes. Him and his stupid ego. What a chump.

"Of course he wouldn't need it," Alexa commented sarcasticly.

(Attention, I must skip some scenes cuz I don't have a very good photographic memory. Thank you)

As Red Dragon Archfiend made a very destructive attack on Sonic Chick, the earth began to rumble, making Mandy lose her balance on the glass.

"Woah!" she exclaimed as she was about to fall.

Mina gasped at the sight.

"Oh my," Lazar said in alarm. "Miss Kuso's going to end up in a nasty fall."

Just as he said that, Mandy fell over the glass, making her friends scream in terror.

"MANDY!"

Once Yusei saw this, he speeded up toward her and caught the falling damsel. Mandy's eyes were shut tight, but she soon opened them to find herself in the arms of a Satellite. Jack became surprised at the sight of her.

"Mandy? What're you doing here?" Mandy sent him a hateful glare.

"My girls and I were doing a bit of sight-seeing, until _you_ showed up!" Jack couldn't help but smile.

"Well, I can't tell you how happy it makes me to see you watching my greatest duel yet! And after this, I think we can go out to dinner tonight to celebrate my victory."

"Tch! Keep dreaming, you jerk!"

"Hey!" Mandy looked at Yusei as he spoke to her. "Are you alright?" Once he looked into her eyes, he couldn't help but think, _'Wow, she's really pretty... Did I just say she was pretty?'_

Mandy blushed when she noticed he was staring into her eyes. "Um, yeah. Thanks." Yusei soon realised she noticed him staring into her hazel eyes and slightly blushed.

"Try to be more careful next time. You might end up getting hurt."

"Well, you better hurry up and win. If you have a card that might be able to end all of this and make you the victor, use it. Don't hold back."

Yusei seemed surprised at this little piece of advice she was giving him, but, for some reason, he couldn't help but smile at her.

"I'm Yusei, by the way." Mandy smiled back.

"Mandy."

Jack seemed to notice their little chit-chat and got angry when he saw that she was smiling at Yusei. That smile's supposed to be for _him!_

"Hey! I don't mind you taking the card, but keep your hands off my girl!" Mandy's vein seemed to pop cartoonishly from her head out of irritation. She hated it when Jack called her his 'girl' when it was clear that they weren't even dating.

"Damn it, Jack! I'm not your girl!" Yusei looked at Stardust Dragon.

"Stardust Dragon, get Mandy to safety." Stardust Dragon went to Yusei's side and held out it's... um, hands to Mandy. She gently got into the dragons claws and was carried away back to her friends.

"Mandy!"

"Thank god, you're okay!"

As the dark haired girl landed back on the glass, she turned to the dragon and embraced it. "Thank you, Stardust Dragon. Now get out there and be with Yusei again." As she placed a soft kiss on it's head, Stardust Dragon growled affectionately and flew back to Yusei.

Yusei smiled again. She must be very affectionate towards duel monsters.

"Well, well," Lazar said. "It seems that this Satellite has made himself a hero, but I don't think it's making Jack very happy."

"Yes," Goodwin agreed. "Jack has always tried to get Miss Kuso's attention, but it's never done anything but annoy her to no end. It seems that Yusei has caught her interest, something that Jack has been wanting from her for a long time."

Mina had a hand on her heart as she sighed, glad to see that Mandy was safe.

(Scene skip again. Like I said before, I don't have a very good photographic memory)

As Stardust Dragon and Red Dragon Archfiend were attacking, a red dragon suddenly appears before them. This scared the girls to no end.

"What is that!" Yusei shouted. Jack growled, thinking that it was Yusei's doing.

"What kind of trick is this, Yusei! What're you trying to pull!"

"That is so rad!" Alexa exclaimed.

"Now's not the time, Alexa," Mandy shouted. "We have to get outa here! Now!" But as they tried to get away, the red dragon looked at their direction, making them freeze in their place. Yusei and Jack saw what it was looking at, and both their eyes started to glow red.

Mina and Lazar had amazed looks at the sight, but Goodwin only seemed strangely happy.

_'Incredible,'_ he thought.

"What? Whose dragon is that?" Jack asked, thinking it was Yusei's. "I'll teach you to play tricks with me! I activate a speed spell, End of Storm!"

"What're you thinking! We gotta stop!" Yusei shouted.

"No way, Yusei!"

Stardust Dragon seemed to roar in agreement with Yusei, but also telling Mandy to get her friends and get out of there. Mandy was too frozen in place to hear Stardust Dragon at the sight of the red dragon looking at them.

"Alright, fine!" Yusei said. "But I think we're gonna regret this! I activate my trap card-" But then both duelists get pushed off by the force of the wind.

The red dragon looked at each of the girls, then stopped at Mandy. Then it shoots a rainbow beem from it's eyes, and it hits Mandy's. She screamed out in pain, and her friends became even more afraid.

"MANDY!"

Then the generator was destroyed and everything in the city went pitch black. Lazar and Mina seemed startled when the lights shut off.

"Who turned out the lights?" Lazar asked.

_'The mighty beast has emerged from it's slumber,'_ Goodwin thought, not fazed by the fact that the power went out.

Everything in the city went pitch black, like I said before. Then the lights turned back on back at the elite whatever-the-hell-that-place-is-called.

"Looks like we've switched to the back up generator," Lazar said. Mina checks to see if they could get the security cameras to work. (I have no idea what she was doing with those digital button things, so get off my back!)

"We've lost all visuals, sir," she informs Goodwin.

_'I've seen all I needed to see,'_ he thought.

Meanwhile, back at the Kaiba Dome, the red dragon roared and then disappeared. Yusei's and Jack's runners crashed and both were holding their arms. Jack looked up at the sky, then at Yusei.

"What was that?"

Yusei was leaning against the wall, clutching his arm. "Aagh! It burns!" Yusei took off his glove and rolled up his sleeve to reveal a glowing red mark."Where did this come from!"

"So it's not just me." Jack said, making Yusei look at him.

"Jack, what's going on?"

Mandy was clutching her eyes, while her friends were holding each of her shoulders.

"Mandy, are you okay?" Cayenne asked worriedly.

"My eyes are burning," Mandy whimpered. As she opened her eyes, they revealed shocking red dragon eyes.

"Woah!" Alexa exclaimed in shock. "Mandy, your eyes are glowing red!"

Mandy looked at her reflection in the glass, and gasped at the sight of her eyes. Her eyes were indeed glowing red, and the scary part was that her pupils were dragon slits.

"What is this?"

"You should've seen it!" Zigzix explained, crazily as usual. "Things had started getting, the generator started spinning around round and round, and... well, it's broken."

"Just do whatever it takes to get power back to the city," Goodwin ordered.

"Yes, sir."

"But what about Mr. Atlas, or Mandy and her friends?" Mina asked worriedly. Goodwin turned to Lazar, who bowed.

Yusei was still looking at Jack. "Do you know what this is, Jack? You do, don't you?" Mandy looked at their arms and saw that they were glowing red, making the pain in her eyes go numb.

"Jack, say something, man... What's going on?" Mandy looked at Jack, wanting to know if he knows what was going on.

Then lights began to shine on them, showing that Sector Security had shown up.

"You're in violation of code 36B, which states that no residence of the Satellite can enter New Domino City by order of the Social Maintenance Department! We are placing you under arrest! Do not try to run! We have you surrounded!"

_'Aw man! I've got no escape,' _Yusei thought, desperately. _'But even if I did manage to get away, I still don't know what that thing on my arm was!'_


	7. Birthday Surprise!

**Now you see how Mandy got the eyes, just wait til you see how Jack finds out how much she hates him. Haha!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, except my oc's.**

**Read and review. Or don't. I don't care-.-**

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><p>As Mandy was lying fast asleep in her bed, she dreamt that she was flying in the air. Her eyes were glowing the same red dragon eyes as last night, and she was face to face with the same red dragon who supposedly gave them to her. She felt calm for some reason. Like she was at peace with it.<p>

Then she slowly opened her eyes. Even if she was awake, she could still feel the presence of that dragon. She slowly got up and ran her hand through her dark hair.

_'Wow, last night was so intense. I mean, that dragon just came out of nowhere. Now that dream I had, that was something else compared to that night. When I first saw it, I was afraid, but when it was in my dream... I felt safe.'_

KittyBat crawled into her lap and mewled in concern for it's master. Mandy stroked her fur in reassurance.

"I'm fine, Kitty, really. I was just a little... traumatized, was all." She yawned, and then reached out for her glasses. Surprisingly, she couldn't find them next to the alarm clock. "Where...?" But she felt KittyBat put her glasses on her, making her smile at her cat monster. "Thanks, KittyBat." KittyBat mewed, as if saying "You're welcome."

Mandy got up, stretched her tired muscles, then walked tiredly out of her room. Once she was passing the livingroom into the kitchen, she heard a ringing from a cellphone. She walked back to it, and picked it up. It looked like a new videophone that she had been wanting for a while. After the fourth ringing, she answered it with a shocked tone.

"Hello?"

"Do you like it?" She could hear her dad from both the phone and behind the wall he was hiding in. Mandy smiled and shouted into the phone.

"I love it!" She ran into her dad's arms, who was laughing when he saw her happy look. "Thank you so much, Dad!"

"Yeah, I got one, too," he said, showing her his own videophone.

"How were you able to afford them, Dad?"

"Saved some money for your birthday presents. Which reminds me." He handed her a small birthday bag, and she digs in to find her new contact glenses.

"Contacts! Oh my god!" She hugged her dad again, happy to see that he had given her the best presents he could ever give her. She held up her new phone in front of him. "Okay, make a scary face." He made the scariest face he could think of, and she took a picture.

"Oh, don't stop now," he warned. "I'm not completely done, yet." Tom had her follow him in the garage. In it was a sheet that was covering an even bigger surprise. "Now, I did a lot of thinking for a week, and I wasn't sure if you were ready. But then I realised that you're growing up and I have to let you make grown-up decisions." He pulled down the sheet to reveal a duel runner that was white with indigo streaks and an indigo comet shooting across the side. It was called the 'Shooting Star', which belonged to Chloe.

Mandy put her hands on her mouth in shocked-surprise. She walked over to the runner and gently stroked the indigo streaks. "Mom's duel runner." Tom smiled at his daughter.

"Yours now."

Once that was said, she smiled and tears began to well up in her eyes. Tom walked over to his daughter and hugged her, which she returned.

"I know. I miss her, too." She let her tears roll down her face, which Tom allowed to soak his shirt. "She would've known when you were ready to have it, and I think that she would've picked this very day to give it to you."

"Thanks, Dad. This is the best birthday present you could've ever given me. Even better than the phone and the contacts."

"Happy birthday, baby girl. I love you."

"I love you, too." He let her go and wiped the tears away from her eyes.

"Now go get dressed for school. Unless you want to come with me to work."

She creased her eyebrows. "And have Jack bug me? Not a chance!"

Tom couldn't help but laugh, his kid_ really_ doesn't like Jack Atlas. Mandy walked back to her room and looked at her mirror. She took off her glasses, opened up her contacts, and then gently put each one in her eyes. She blinked a few times and smiled, happy to see that she looks so much better without her glasses.

"How do I look?" Mandy asked KittyBat. The cat monster mewed in approval, making Mandy smile. Now the little devil won't mess with her glasses anymore.

Once she looked back at the mirror, she gasped at the sight of the red dragon behind her and her eyes were glowing red again. She looked behind her, but found nothing. When she looked back at the mirror, her eyes were it's normal shade of hazel. That was wierd.

She sighed and thought, _'I must be going crazy. Guess last night really had an effect on my mind.'_

Mandy walked over to her closet and took out her usual shirt, but KittyBat grabbed it and threw it back in.

"Hey!" Kittybat only looked at her. Mandy went to grab her black pants, but the monster grabbed it and threw it back in the closet, as it did with the shirt. "KittyBat!" KittyBat meowed at her, which was it's way of scolding her.

"What do you mean I can't wear those?" KittyBat mewled, telling her that since she has new contacts that she should find a new look. Mandy seemed to be confused with her monster. "Just 'cause I have contacts, I should find a new look?" KittyBat nodded and mewed.

Mandy sighed in defeat. "Okay, well what do you think I should wear?" KittyBat looked into her closet, flew in, and got a t-shirt with a blue bunny on the right, a pink cat in the middle, and a green puppy on the left. She set it down on the bed, took another look inside the closet, then took out a pair of skinny jeans.

Mandy gave the monster a confused look. "You want me to wear that?" she asked, pointing at the pair of clothes KittyBat picked for her. KittyBat mewled, then went into the closet to get a blue jean jacket and a pair of black boots, no heels included. The monster looked around the room then went over to her desk and opened her drawers. She started digging around, until she found a pair of black fingerless gloves.

Mandy looked at the clothes with a dumbfounded expression. Who knew that KittyBat would have a sense of style? She looked at her monster with a smile.

"Wow, KittyBat, you really have great taste." KittyBat meowed in thanks

At New Domino High, Alexa and Cayenne were waiting for the birthday girl at the entrance. When they heard the sound of a runner, they expected it to be Jack. Oh no, instead it was the 'Shooting Star' riding up to the parking lot. They gaped at the sight of the person driving it. That runner must be a replica of the 'Shooting Star', and that was obviously someone else who went to school with them. But what shocked them even more was that the stranger on the supposed replica was really their best friend, when she took off her helmet of course.

Mandy shook her hair from side to side, got off her runner, and walked over to her friends. Little did she know that she was earning a lot of attention from the school.

Fron the guys: "Aw, dude, check her out!"

"Watch out, man. This one's mine!"

"She's so hot!"

"Isn't that Mandy Kuso! Wow, she is fine!"

And from the girls: "Oh my gosh, I like her outfit!"

"That's Mandy Kuso! I can't believe I didn't recognise her!"

"She's getting all the attention. That's not fair!"

"Wow, she's so pretty!"

Mandy flipped her hair just to mock all of the preppy girls. When she approached her friends, they were smiling.

"Wow, Mandy," Alexa said. "You look hot!" Mandy smiled and walked with her hands on her hips like a supermodel.

"Don't I?"

"Super hot!" Cayenne commented. "Look at all the attention you're getting." Mandy looked at the crowd, and they were all looking at her as they whispered in eachothers ears.

"Okay," she said, kind of in a awkard way. "Thank you, KittyBat."

As they went inside the school, Mandy explained the events that had occured this morning.

"Hey, Mandy," Alexa said, making Mandy look at her. "Are you okay, after what happened last night?"

Mandy sighed and ran her hand through her hair. "I don't know, honestly. I think it took alot of effect on me. I saw that red dragon in my dreams, and then I saw it in my mirror."

"Were your eyes glowing red again?" Cayenne asked with a stunned looked. Mandy could only nod. Her head seemed to hurt everytime she thought about it.

"Well, let's not get into it," Alexa said, trying to break tension while holding a present in front of their friend. "Happy birthday, MD." Mandy blinked a few times, then smiled as she took the present.

"Thanks, Lexa."

"Don't forget my present," Cayenne scolded, handing her a present as well.

"Thanks, Cay," Mandy said laughing. Then they stopped when they saw Mina in the middle of the hall with (guess what) flowers from (guess who) Jack Atlas... Again.

"Hello, Mandy," Mina greeted. "Hapy birthday."

"Hey, Mina," Mandy said as she looked at the bouquet of flowers, more specifically gardenias. How the hell Jack found out what her favorite flower was is a mystery, but he _still_ would've given her flowers either way. "Oh, goodie. More flowers from Jack."

Alexa made a gagging noise while pointing a finger at her mouth, and Cayenne just had a awkward smile.

Mina laughed nervously. "Not just flowers. There's a card, too." Mina gave the flowers to Mandy, who had a disgusted look on her face as she opened to card.

_Dear Mandy,_

_I hope you can forgive me for not visiting you on your special day, but I'm going to be busy for a while. To make it up to you, I'm sending you these flowers, this card, and once I'm done, I'll take you out to a nice romantic dinner. Last nights event was quite an adventure, wasn't it? Well, I doubt we'll have a problem with Yusei now, because he's at the Facility all nice and cozy. I'll see later. Oh, and happy birthday._

_Yours forever,_

_Jack Atlas_

Once she was done reading, Mandy had an angered expression plastered on her face. Sure, dinner urked her to no end, but what really made her angry was that Jack had mentioned Yusei being in the Facility.

_'He's in the Facility because of **you, **you jerk!'_ she thought angrily. Alexa held her mouth to keep from vomitting when she saw the word 'romantic' written in the card.

"Romantic? Gross!" she exclaimed. "I didn't think he was the type to actually use that word!"

"And why couldn't he just say 'Yours _never_'?" Mandy groaned. Mina gave them an apologetic look, Mandy for having to read the words that truly disgusted her since it was coming from _him,_ and the girls for seeing that they're watching their best friend put up with his crap. Mandy looked at Mina. "Thanks. Tell him I said these were beautiful, and I'm still wondering how he found out my favorite flower is a white gardenia."

"You're welcome," Mina replied. "You don't want to give them back, or give them to someone else?"

"Nah, I'll just burn 'em. He's lucky I'm keeping the card." Mina nodded.

"Well, I better get back. I've been following Mr. Atlas to the director."

"'Kay. Bye, Mina."

"Goodbye, girls." Mina walked away. "And happy birthday, Mandy!" she shouted as she waved at the girls. The girls waved back.

Once she was gone, the girls started walking to their class.

"Let's pay a visit to the Facility afterwards," mandy said, out of the blue. "Yanagi's back at the Facility, and I want to see Tanner."

"Sounds good," Alexa replied. "I think we might be able to see that Satellite. Um,... What was his name again?"

"Yusei."

"Oh yeah, Yusei. Maybe we could-"

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Mina was running toward the girls. "Director Goodwin wants to see you after school."

"Me?" Mandy asked. "What for?"

"He says he wants to speak to you. I'll see you soon." Mina then walks away, leaving the girls dumbfounded.

"What do you think he wants?" Cayenne asks.

"I have no clue."


	8. Wanting Answers

**Okay, I know I disappointed you people by not showing our heroine's hatred toward the Australian eschemo (I have no clue if I spelt that right, and yes, that is how I see Jack) in the last chapter, but I didn't want to make it too long. Don't judge me:/**

**Disclaimer: other than my oc's, I don't own shit**

**Read and review. Or don't. I don't care-.-**

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><p>Mandy was already at home, getting everything she needed when she went out. Her new videophone, her deck, and whatever else she could possibly need. Once she was done, she pulled out her videophone and dialed her dad's number. Two seconds later, he answered.<p>

"Hey, kiddo."

"Hey, Dad," she replied. "I just wanted to let you know that Alexa, Cayenne, and I are going to the Facility. Yanagi just got arrested... Again." Mandy had sweatdropped once she said that.

"Oh, that's not surprising. Well, tell him I said hi."

"Will do. Bye, Daddy."

"Bye, pumpkin." And with that, she hung up. Yes, it's not really surprising that Yanagi would end up back at the Facility. The only thing he ever does is collect illegal cards of ancient relics. Mandy found it pretty cool, to be honest with you.

She went outside, got on her runner, and then rode off to the Facility.

The girls had arrived at the Facility, only to be delayed by Trudge for a short amount of time.

"Good afternoon, girls," he greeted.

"Oh," Mandy replied, surprised. "Hey, Trudge."

"You three were at the Kaiba Dome when that Satellite got arrested?"

The girls shifted nervously, not really sure how to answer him.

"And to top it all off, you broke into the arena. What the hell were doing out there!"

"We were just doing a bit of sight seeing was all!" Mandy pratcicly yelled. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we came to visit a friend of mine."

Mandy rudely pushed by Trudge, Alexa and Cayenne following while glaring at him. Ever since they discovered what Mandy and her friends were doing in the Satellite a few years ago, Trudge had been assigned to keep an eye on her and also keep her safe. He felt sorry for her when they put that tracking marker on her, but he held great respect when she begged them not give the markers to her friends as well. It reminded him of his first encounter with Chloe Kitsune. She was a fighter, and a very violent fighter mind you. Though she only used her martial arts skills when necassary, she still managed to get away from him naturally. It took a week when they finally caught her, but Goodwin was able to convince the authorities not to send her to the Facility, though they still gave her a marker.

Trudge had great respect for Chloe, and had helped take care of Mandy after she had died. But for some reason he has become a lot colder than he usually was, making Mandy trust him a lot less.

"Hey," Trudge called, making the girls stop and look at him. "By the way... Happy birthday."

Mandy blinked a few times before turning back. "Thanks." Then she continued walking. She still didn't feel happy, though.

_You are upset with him, young one._

Mandy blinked in surprise at the sound of a centuries old female voice. _'Who's there?'_

_Look above you._

Mandy looked up at the sky and saw the red dragon. She felt more calm now that it was here for some reason, but she didn't know why.

_'Who are you?' _she thought.

_I am the Crimson Dragon. I am in need of a keeper of my eyes. I choose you._

The Crimson Dragon seemed to gain Mandy's trust right away. Mandy didn't need to be hypnotized to see it was telling the truth. That's one of the reasons why she wanted to see Yanagi. To get answers as to why she felt afraid of the dragon at first, but then became calm when she saw it again.

_I fear for you, young one. Director Rex Goodwin will want to see if you have my eyes. You must be very careful, and only trust the five signers that I have chosen._

Mandy understood what the dragon was telling her, but then she remembered the marks she saw on both Jack's and Yusei's arms. _'Those marks on Jack's and Yusei's arms... those are your marks, aren't they?'_

_Yes, my dear, they are my marks. I chose both of them to protect all of humanity, for evil is coming it's way. You are of the upmost importance, Mandy Kuso. Be very careful on who you encounter on the way._

_'I will. I promise.'_

The Crimson Dragon then disappeared, making Mandy look straight ahead of her once again.

When they reached the entrance to the Facility, the guard refused to let them pass. When Mandy explained that they were only visiting Yanagi, he let them in, but warned them not to do any funny buisness. That made Mandy roll her eyes.

Once they came across Yanagi's cell, Mandy knocked on the bars. Yanagi looked up and smiled at the sight of the girls. "Hey, girls! How ya doin'."

Mandy smiled in return. "Hey, Yanagi. We're doing great. Whatcha managed to snatch up this time?"

"I'm glad you asked!" And with that he pulled every last card he had been able to hide. "Tadaa! The latest ancient relics I was able to collect!" He handed them to the girls, who stared in awe.

"Aw, wow!" Alexa exclaimed. "These are so cool!"

"Wow, Yanagi," Mandy said. "You've really outdone yourself. These cards are awesome."

"I would expect them to be," Yanagi replied with pride. "These relics are of ancient history. Oh, I almost forgot." Yanagi reached into his robe and pulled out a card for Mandy. "Happy birthday, Mandy." Unbeknownst to them, his new roommate, which turns out to be Yusei, looked at him with a confused expression.

_'Mandy?'_ he thought.

Mandy grabbed the card from Yanagi, and gasped as she was looking at a rare card called Dark Guardian Cerberus. A three headed dog monster with the ability to destroy three monsters at once, which triples the damage to your opponents lifepoints.

She reached her arms through the bars and hugged Yanagi. "Oh! Thankyouthankyou! _Thank you!_" She drew her arms back and looked at her new card in excitement. "Oh my god!" Yanagi had laughed at her reaction, meaning he knew she would love it.

"This monster is from ancie-"

"Ancient Greece, I know," she interupted excitedly. "Where'd you get this?"

"I traded it from an old greek fellow, looked like a shamen of some sort. I walked by and he told me that-"

_"The perfect gift that you seek for the young girl, is this rare monster of Ancient Greece. Like he has guarded the gate to the Underworld, he can also protect her from evil. She will be thankful for this gift. Trust me."_

"Wow," Mandy said, "this is awesome. Thank you so much, Yanagi."

"No problem," Yanagi replied. "Oh, hey, Yusei." The girls flinched at the name being heard from their ears. "There's someone I want ya to meet." Yanagi moved to let the girls see him. Mandy immediately started to panic.

"Uh, I just remembered! Goodwin wanted to see me after school!"

"Really?" Yanagi asked.

"Uh, yeah. I gotta go. Bye, Yanagi!" They took off. "Oh, and thanks for the gift!"

"You know her?" Yusei asked.

"Of course I know her! Everybody does. That's Mandy Kuso, the daughter of the legendary Queen of Games, Chloe Kitsune!"

Yusei's eyes widened. "_The_ Chloe Kitsune?"

"That's right! She's a good kid, and she's starting to be more like her mother!"

Yusei couldn't believe it. He had just saved Mandy Kuso, daughter of Chloe Kitsune, from a nasty fall. He thought that name sounded familiar, but he didn't think it would be _Mandy Kuso._

"Woah now!" A hand reached out of the bars to stop the girls. Mandy looked in the cell to see that the hand belonged to her other good friend, Bolt Tanner. Mandy has known him since she was a kid, as well as she's known Yanagi. "What's the rush, kiddies?"

"Oh," Mandy replied, "hey, Tanner."

Tanner smiled at her. "You were about to leave without seeing me, huh? Well, so much for going into all that trouble to snatch you a gift."

Mandy rolled her eyes, but smiled. "Whatever. I stopped to say hi, didn't I?"

"Only because my hand reached out to stop you. What were you in all this rush for anyway?"

"I just remembered that Rex Goodwin wantd to see me after school. I completely forgot about it."

"On purpose."

Mandy giggled at his statement. He knew her so well.

"Alright, but you should at least stick around long enough for me to give you your present." Tanner dug into his pocket and pulled out a card. "I believe this belongs to you."

He handed her the card, and she stared in total shock. The card she was looking at was a card that was missing in her mothers deck after the accident. Rainbow Pixie, a tutor monster that her mother once owned, but disappeared after the crash. Her friends stared in awe.

"Where'd you find it?" Mandy asked, coming close to tears.

"I got it from some street merchant. Said he was gonna make a profit off of it since it belonged to your mom, but I was able to make him an offer he couldn't resist."

Mandy bit her lip to keep herself from whimpering as her tears fell. Tanner smiled and reached his arm out to rap around her back and pull her into a hug. "C'mere, kid." Mandy returned the hug as she burried her face in his shoulder.

"Thank you so much, Tanner. You have no idea how much this means to me."

"Your welcome, kid. Happy birthday."

Then he let go and she wiped away her tears. "I gotta go now. Otherwise, I think Goodwin's gonna send someone after me if I keep him waiting too long."

"Alright. Have fun."

"See ya, Tanner."

With that, the girls left as they waved to Tanner. Once they left, they started heading toward Goodwins office. Mandy looked outside to see the Crimson Dragon was still with them, although the other two girls couldn't see it.

"The director's in a meeting!" They heard a voice say. "He can't be disturbed!"

Mandy pulled her friends into a good hiding spot, and cringed at the sight of Jack going to Goodwin's office, with Mina trying to stop him. Curious, Mandy and her friends followed, making sure they didn't see them.

Once they were at the door, Jack and Mina entered and the girls stood next to the door.

"I'm very sorry, sir," Mina apologised to Goodwin.

"Good to see you, Jack," he said. Jack looks at the video with a slight gasp.

"That's my duel!" he exclaimed. Mandy and her friends took a slight peek and saw that it was his duel on the video. "Did these two pinnuts recorded what happened last night!" He pointed at Lazar and Zigzix as he asked.

"Calm down, Jack," Goodwin said calmly, getting up and walking around his desk toward him. "You've broken alot of laws last night. You're lucky that this didn't end up on the news. It's our job to protect you, Jack. So help us help you. Tell me more about the Crimson Dragon."

"Sure," Jack replied coldly, "like what? I know, how 'bout this." He then pulled up the sleeve of his jacket to reveal the mark that looked like wings. "This started to burn!"

Goodwin seemed to bow slightly. "You should be proud. It's the Crimson Dragons mark, it's a symbol of power." As he continued to explain, Lazar, Zigzix, and Mina all bowed. "You are the very rare few known as a signer."

"So what," Jack said, pulling his sleeve back up.

"Jack, that sign means that you were destined for great things."

"Yeah? Well, I already knew that I was destined for greatness!" Mandy rolled her eyes at this. Such an egotistic moron. "So tell me, why did Yusei have one as well!"

"What?" Goodwin asked, astonished. "That Satellite had one as well?"

"Didn't your cameras pick it up?"

Mandy didn't pay attention to what else Goodwin said, her mind started going back to Yusei. Why couldn't she face him back at the Facility? Simple, she was afraid to see that he would be angry with her. She had to admit, she had already started to like Yusei (not romanticly... yet;)) and the fact that he had seem to capture her interest didn't really bother her. What did bother her, was the thought of seeing Yusei's angry face. She really did try to help him escape, but Jack was the one who held her back. Literally! He had his arms on her waist to keep her from going towards Yusei!

"Yeah, well then why did he have a mark? Yusei's destined for nothing but minimum wage. Plus, he didn't have one back at the Satellite. So it must be a fake."

Mandy glared at Jack. She knew that mark was not a fake, and she was sure that Yusei was destined for things that are far much greater than for Jack.

Jack then noticed something on the video and turned to it, making the girls cling to the wall for the safety of being kept from his sight.

"What was that on the video? Play it back for me." Zigzix did what he asked with some minor difficulties. "Before this... Come on! Come on!" The video soon froze with Yusei and a trap card. "I want that image zoomed in."

"Of course," the scientist replied, zooming in on the card. Jack soon became shocked once he saw the card.

"That card!" he exclaimed. Mandy gasped once she took a quick peek at the card. "That's- That's Meteor Stream!"

"You are correct, as usual, Jack," Lazar commented. "And you should be pleased that the power went out. Otherwise, your unbeaten streak woul've come to an end. If you don't believe me, see for yourself."

_I activate a speed spell! End of Storm!_

"Don't be so dipressed, Jack. It seems our friend Yusei has learned some new tricks. You thought that your move would win you back Stardust and Miss Kuso, but you only opened a door for a counter-attack. It's a easy mistake."

Mandy giggled slightly at Lazars comment, but Jack only got angry.

"A mistake! You better watch what you say, you miserable, purple-haired, little freak!"

Lazar didn't seem fazed by his threat. "I only speak the truth."

"I knew what I was doing all along. How many times do I have to tell you that Yusei's just a loser? I'm the champ, and I'm the one whose beaten him out of New Domino City!"

Mandy and the girls were a little surprised by this sudden anger of Jack's. They have seen him mad, but not _this _mad.

"Then why doesn't our dear Jack know what happens? When Yusei's Meteor Stream counters your supposed move, _you_ lose the match!"

"I still had 900 life points in my combo, and it would've only taken away..." Jack's eyes widened at the sudden realization on what would happen when Meteor Stream was activated. "All of them... There was nothing I could do. I actually lost to him."

Mandy's eyes widened in excitement and she shouts, "Finally!"

Everyone looked at the door, and Mandy covered her mouth. Busted.

"Oops," she whispered. The girls smiled nervously and they come out from behind the wall.

"Ah, Miss Kuso," Goodwin said, "how wonderful to see you here."

"Uh, yeah..."

Jack was shocked to see that she had overheard the conversation, but soon relaxed at the sight of her and smiled.

"Well, well, Mandy. You look lovel-"

"Save it, bub!" she says, pointing her finger at his face to shut him up. "You wanted to see me, Goodwin?"

"Ah, yes. About last night... Can you tell us what you remember about the Crimson Dragon?"

Mandy put her hand to her chin in thought. "Hmmm... All I remember was that it came out of nowhere, looked at us, and then it just disappeared."

"Are you sure nothing else happened?"

Mandy nodded. "Positive." She then looked at what looked like her and her friends breaking into the field. "I take it you saw that."

"Not likely, Miss Kuso," Lazar answered. "We only noticed you three during the match."

Mandy nodded. "Yeah, sorry about that."

"No need to be sorry, Miss Kuso," Goodwin said. "We're just glad that your safe is all."

"Of course, that's all thanks to Yusei Fudo," Lazar commented. "Don't think we won't let him stay in the Facility unrewarded, Miss Kuso. We all saw the little fall you had, but it's a good thing he came to your rescue."

Jack became angry when he saw her smile and say, "Yeah, he's a hero."

"He's a Satellite!" Jack shouted in rage, making the girls look at him in shock. "A loser who lives in trash! How can someone like him be a hero to you!"

Mandy glared at him. "Need I remind you that my mother was a Satellite as well?"

Jack soon realised that she was yelling at him and stared at her in shock.

"And not only that, but so were _you._ I can accept that fact, but I what will not accept is that you betrayed your friends and stole what was not yours! Doing it for fame and glory is not worth losing your friends! My mother would know, she may not have done that action, but she could teach someone like you thing or two about friendship."

Jack walked towards her, and attempted to put his hands on her arms. "Come one, Mandy, you know I-" But Mandy felt her eyes burn, and she cringed as she put her hand on her eyes. She opened them a little bit, but enough for Jack to see small red tints in her eyes and her pupils tempting to turn into slits.

Mandy pushed him away. "Don't touch me!" Her friends came to her side in worry. Goodwin looked at her with a concerned expression.

"What's wrong, Mandy?" Mina asked, as worried as her friends. Mandy gave her a sheepish smile.

"Oh, it's nothing. I just have a headache is all." Mina nodded and said nothing.

Mandy felt a vibration in her pocket and took out her videophone to see she got a text from Leo.

"Sorry, Goodwin, I gotta go," she said as she put her phone away. "My kids want to give me a surprise."

"That's right, Leo and Luna. How are they?"

"They're doing great."

"Hold on," Jack said as they started to leave, "I'm not done with you yet."

"Well, I am with you," Mandy yelled. "I'm so sick of your crap! I've tolerated you for these past couple years, but no more. I'm gonna see Yusei again, and when I do you better leave us alone! Find some other girl to bug for once!" As Mandy and the girls went to the door, she turned back to Jack. "And for the record, I would've chosen my friends." With that said and done, they left without a word said.

Jack was shocked, to say the least. He couldn't believe what she had said to him. "I can't believe it... She prefers that Satellite over me?" He looked down at his hands in anger. "Impossible!" Then he growled as he closed his eyes and clenched his fists. Goodwin went to him and put his hands on his fists.

"Jack, last night never happened. No one outside these walls knows about the duel."

"But I know, Goodwin!" Jack said pushing him away. "And so do they! Where's Yusei! I have to duel him again!"

Goodwin put his arms behind his back and walked away from Jack. "I'm afraid that's a little tricky, Jack. Yusei is a Satellite and therefore he has been sent to the Facility. I'm afraid he won't be leaving for quite some time. But don't worry, I've been informed that Yusei's meant to feel right at home."

Jack still looked determined. "I'm going..." He then turned to walk away. Goodwin was shocked when he turned to him.

"The Facility! If this is your type of joke, I'm not laughing, Jack. Don't throw away all that we've worked for just to prove your best. Your sign, Jack, it is your destiny."

Jack looked at him with a glare, but said nothing.


	9. Birthday Parties Relieve the Stress

**See how pissed she was with him! Haha! You could tell that he probably deserved it. The hell am I saying probably for? He did deserve it! Asshole-.-**

**Disclaimer: I don't own shit, except my oc's**

**Read and review. Or don't. I don't care-.-**

* * *

><p>Alexa and Cayenne couldn't help but look at their friend as they headed for the Tops. Mandy hadn't said anything since they left Goodwins office, but they didn't want to bother her about it. Mandy was furious. She truly did hate Jack, and now she hated him even more since she found out what he did to Yusei in the past.<p>

The Crimson Dragon flew over, and looked down at Mandy with sympathy. Mandy felt her anger subside thanks to the dragon, but she still couldn't fade away the memory of what she said to Jack. Mandy was quite proud of herself, but then she became worried at the cost of her father's job.

Oh god, she wished she hadn't said those things now! He's probably gonna fire her dad after what she said.

_Do not worry, young one, _the Crimson Dragon said to her. _Jack is still angry with his defeat, and is too focused on wanting to beat Yusei. He is not angry with you, just furious at the fact that you would prefer someone like Yusei over him._

Mandy gave it thought. She had to agree, Jack was prideful, and is probably still pissed at the fact that he lost. Of course, he would try to duel Yusei again. And yes, she did prefer someone like Yusei over Jack. Jack was prideful, selfish, over-confident, and an ass. Yusei was kind, gentle, sweet, and caring. Mandy did go for someone like that, but the thought of calling him all those things when she barely even knew him made her blush.

_Don't be emberassed, child,_ the dragon said. _It is natural for one to become attracted to another person quickly, though you might deny that fact. _

_'I do deny it,'_ Mandy responded. _'I mean, I barely even know him. Besides, he'd never go for someone like me.'_ Mandy seemed to have a sad expression as she mentioned this.

Mandy has met a few guys that liked her, but they never really liked her for her. You can probably tell, I mean, look at Jack. He only likes her because of who her mother was, just like all of the other guys. Mandy wants a guy who will like her, maybe even love, for who she is. Like her for her personality and fighting spirit; for her kindness and determination; for her selflessness and... for what she keeps in her heart forever. But no, they never saw her, they only saw the legendary Chloe Kitsune. They only saw her mother.

_You will find someone, Mandy,_ the dragon said. _Give it time, and soon your true love will be there to catch you._

Mandy smiled in thanks, not knowing that a certain Satellite was thinking about her at the moment while dueling Tanner. Mandy suddenly remembered the little test the Facility guys do with the new comers, and groaned and mentally slapped herself. How could she forget that Yusei and Yanagi would have to duel Tanner? Oh well, she's sure that Yusei can handle it on his own.

Once they arrived at the Tops, they showed the gate guy their id's, and he let them pass. Once they were close to the elevator, it opened up for Leo and Luna to run out to them.

"Mandy!" they both shouted as they ran into her arms, making her laugh.

"Hey, I see you guys everyday," she said. "It's not like it's been a thousand years." The twins only tightened their hold on her.

"We're just excited to see you, Mandy," Leo replied.

Mandy felt a bit uneasy. "Well, there's no need to get too excited." The twins sensed the uneasyness in her vioce, and looked up at their babysitter.

"Mandy, are you okay?" Luna asked.

Mandy frowned a little and ran her hand through her hair.

"She's just a little stressed, guys," Alexa answered.

"Why?" Leo asked. "What happened?"

"You remember how Jack Atlas always bugs her?" Cayenne asked. The twins nodded as they remembered how much Mandy didn't like the so called 'Master of Faster'. "Well, he said something that made her really angry, and she yelled at him. She hasn't relaxed since then..."

The twins looked at Mandy sadly. They hated it when Jack did something to make her angry, and she rarely got angry with anyone. She had taken care of them since they were little, making her a big sister and sometimes a mother figure. She tought them discepline, respect, patience (although there were times when Leo lacked it), and, most of all, courage. They loved her with all their hearts, and she loved them.

"Don't be upset, Mandy," Leo said smiling. "We've got something that'll cheer you up!"

The twins started pulling her into the elevator, her friends following suit. Mandy's arms were starting to hurt from all the pulling.

"Ow! Hey! Guys, I'm not your rope of tug of war!" She said those things as she was being pulled to the door.

Once they opened it, Mandy gasped.

"SURPRISE!" The twins yelled as confettis seemed to shoot out from out of nowhere. Mandy blinked in shock. Everything was decorated with balloons and streamers. The twins looked at her expectantly, and she smiled at both of them.

"You two did this all for me?" she asked.

The twins nodded at this. "It's our way of showing how much we love you," Luna said. "And how awesome of a big sister you are to us for the past few years," Leo said.

Mandy knelt down and hugged them both, which they returned. "Thanks, you two."

Back at the office, Jack was thinking about what Mandy had said. Actually, he was thinking more on why she doesn't _like_ _him _and would rather be with Yusei, even if they barely know eachother. Jack's more of a man for her than Yusei is! But he neglected to realize that Mandy would rather be with a nice guy than with some arrogant asshole.

Then somethine else crossed his mind. "Hey, did you notice those red tints in her eyes?"

"What?" Goodwin asked, shocked. "Red tints?"

"Yeah, and her pupils looked like they were gonna turn into slits. Come to think of it, I saw the dragon shoot something at her eyes and they started glowing last night when it disappeared."

"Amazing... Mandy Kuso has been chosen."

Jack seemed confused. "Chosen? For what?"

"Jack, Miss Kuso has been chosen to be the Keeper of the Crimson Eyes. The Eye Keeper is the upmost importance in this world."

Jack still seemed confused.

"Don't worry, Jack. All will be revealed to you in due time."

Meanwhile, Mandy was having a wonderful time at her party. Not only did her dad take the time off from work to celebrate, but her aunt Marsha had come with her baby cousin Peyton. Mandy embraced her aunt.

"Hey, Aunt Marsha," she greeted excitedly.

"Hello, sweetheart," her aunt replied. "A certain someone's been dying to come see you for your birthday." Marsha gestured toward her son, who was walking toward Mandy with his arms open.

"Hi, Mandy," he said.

"Hey, little guy," Mandy cooed as she hugged him. He was about five years old.

"Happy birthday," he said as he handed her a present.

"Aw, thank you," she cooed again as she took it.

"I heard about what happened with..." Marsha looked like she wanted to say more, but she didn't know how to use the right words for it.

"The twins called and told you?" Mandy asked.

"Actually, it was your father who told me. Mina called him and told him about the incident."

"Ah, I figured Mina would tell him."

Marsha put a hand on her neices shoulder. "Try not to think about it, Mandy. Today's your birthday, we're supposed to be happy."

Mandy smiled and nodded before going back to the party. As everybody watched Mandy blow out the candles, Marsha and Tom were watching with smiling faces.

"I'm very proud of you, Tom," Marsha said. "Chloe would've wanted Mandy to have her runner, and if she were alive she'd probably say so, too."

"Yeah," Tom agreed, "but still... I really hate seeing her grow up."

"We all do, Tommy, even I'm afraid of watching Peyton grow."

"But this is Mandy we're talking about here. She's my little girl, and I don't want her to leave."

"I know, but remember, no matter how much they grow, they'll still be our children."

"Yeah, you're right."

"Aren't I always."

Tom rolled his eyes, but still had his smile as he watched his daughter smiling and laughing with her friends.


	10. Pranks and an Unwanted Phonecall

**For those of you who have been patient for this next chapter, I give you a cyber-cookie. For those of you who have not, all I can say is screw you! I'm busy in reality!**

**Disclaimer: besides my oc's, I don't own shit**

**Read and review. Or don't. I don't care-.-**

* * *

><p>The next next day was relaxing for Mandy. Not only did her party relieve the stress about Jack, but she was also informed that Yusei had beaten Tanner. This made Mandy smile, knowing full well that he could take care of himself.<p>

Yusei had been thinking about Mandy since yesterday. He didn't know why, but lately he's been spacing out thinking about her. He could see that Jack really liked Mandy, but he could also see that she seemed annoyed by him. In fact, from what Yanagi explained Jack had been bothering Mandy and asking her out for the past couple years since he became the 'Master of Faster'. Mandy had always turned him down, but no matter how many times she said no he would keep chasing after her. This had also lead her schoolyard enemy Lisa to harass her.

Yusei couldn't help but feel sorry for Mandy for her to have to deal with something like that. It also made him angry at Jack because he couldn't see that Mandy's not interested in him. Yusei felt wierd when he thought about that, like he all he could do was be mad at Jack for bothering Mandy so much. Yusei then thought about the way her eyes seem to sparkle, and the color was a beautiful shade of hazel. He felt his face grow warm once he realised what he was thinking about.

_'Why am I thinking about her like this?' _he asked himself. _'I barely even know her, and yet she's all I can think about.'_

Mandy arrived at the Tops in the nick of time. She already told her father that she would be staying with the twins for the next couple of days, which was fine with him. He would probably be really busy anyway.

Mandy caught sight of Leo and Luna on the roof of their apartment. Curious, she went to the elevator and pushed the button that goes to the roof. Once there, she walked over to them and put her hands on her hips as she saw four eggs in a bowl, which Leo was the one holding.

The twins flinched when they heard someone clear their throat and looked to see their babsitter/big sister with her hands on her hips and an eyebrow raised. They both smiled nervously.

"Hi, Mandy."

"Explain yourselves," Mandy demanded.

"We're pulling a prank on Lisa," Leo explained nervously, "but we have a good reason! See she-" Leo began to explain in a desperate tone when he saw the look on Mandy's face saying you know better than that.

"Guys, what did I say about pranking Lisa?"

"To not do it...," they both seemed sad that they had made her angry, but they soon remembered the rest of what she about pranking Lisa and smiled. "Without you!"

Mandy smiled and knelt down to kiss the top of their heads. "That's right."

The three of them waited a while for Lisa to come out. It was a good thing that the twins know Lisas daily morning routines, otherwise they'd probably be waiting for a while. They had their hands on the bowl of eggs, because Mandy thought it would be fair if they did this together.

Finally, Lisa was walking out of door, and that's when they turned the bowl over and allowed the eggs to fall on her head. Lisa screamed as she realised what was on her head, making the three pranksters laugh.

"So what you made you guys prank Lisa anway?" Mandy asked as they were watching tv to celebrate their victory. Leo and Luna frowned.

"We overheard Lisa's conversation with her friends," Luna started, "and she was saying awful things about you."

"Like calling you a tramp," Leo continued sourly, "and a future boyfriend stealer. She doesn't get it at all that you don't like him! She's just jealous!" Mandy knew exactly what they were talking about when Leo said 'him'. She smiled at them.

"Thanks, guys, that's really sweet of you to stand up for me like that." She then gets taken by surprise as they hugged her.

"We did it 'cause we love you, Mandy," Luna stated.

"And your the best big sister ever," Leo said.

She smiled and returned their hug. "I love you, too."

A few hours had passed, and Mandy had just recieved a phone call. "Hello?"

"Hello, Mandy."

"YAAAAAAAHHHH!" Mandy screamed and threw her phone on the couch. She couldn't believe it. How the hell did _he _get her phone number!

"What's wrong, Mandy?" Luna asked.

"That- How did he- The hell!"

Mand grabbed her phone and shouted, "HOW THE HELL DID YOU GET MY NUMBER!"

Jack smirked. "Call it a hunch. Anyway, we didn't get a chance to go to dinner last night."

Mandy rolled her eyes. "The twins were throwing me a party, and gag me with a spoon. Like I'd ever go to dinner with you."

"Oh, don't be like that. You didn't even give me a chance to say sor-"

"You don't mean it!" With that Mandy angrily hung up. She rubbed her temples in irritation. Great, now she's got a headache.

"You want me to get some aspirin?" Luna asked in concern.

"That would be helpful."

Luna nodded and went to the bathroom. Mandy just sat on the couch. God, Jack is a persistant asshole.


	11. Appointments and an Unexpected Reunion

**Okay, here's the chapter where our soon-to-be lovebirds (holy crap, I can not believe I just said that o.o') meet again. Only, with some slight complications. You'll see what I mean**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**Read and review. Or don't. I don't care-.-**

* * *

><p>Mandy had gotten a call saying that the eye doctor had wanted to see her, which was strange because she figured that since she had gotten her contacts that she wouldn't need an appointment. Mandy told the twins that there was food in the fridge, before kissing their heads and leaving.<p>

Mandy had spent more time with the twins than she had planned, meaning she spent a few more nights at their place. Her dad didn't mind, he was gonna be busy with the Fortune Cup anyway. Mandy had been chosen to participate as well as Luna, much to her joy. It wasn't coming in a few days, so she had nothing to worry about.

As she headed for the eye doctor, her phone started ringing and she saw that it was Jack... again. With a quick mind, she rejected it. Hey, that last thing she needs is him bugging her this afternoon. Besides, she needed to focus on driving her runner anyway.

Once she was at the office, her eye doctor began the examination. The Crimson Dragon studied the doctor closely, and saw that Goodwin had set this up to see if she was the Eye Keeper or not.

_Child, this is a set up, _it warned Mandy. _This was all arranged by Goodwin. You must leave immediately!_

Mandy started to panic in her mind. _'How am I gonna get out of this one? I can't just bolt out of here!'_

_Just do as I instruct you, and you will be safe._

Mandy trusted the dragon, but still felt anxious to get out. The Crimson Dragon used its power to make a simple distraction by making the phone go off. The doctor grabbed it.

"Hello?"

"Sir, there's a patient waiting for you in the lobby. No, I can't make him wait a few minutes, he's a very impatient man."

"Alright, I'll be right there." He hung up and then turned to Mandy. "I'll be back in a few mintues."

Mandy nodded as he left. Once the door closed, she got off the examination table and ran to the window. As she opened it, she looked down at the dragon who had its wings spread in order for her to land. Mandy jumped out and landed on the dragons back. As they flew away, the doctor had gone to the front desk.

"Where's the patient?"

The nurse looked at him confused. "There's no patients other than Miss Kuso, sir."

"What? But you said..." His eyes widened and he ran back to the room. Once he opened the door, Mandy was gone.

In the nick of time, Mandy was back at the Tops and sitting on the couch with her head back. The twins sat on each of her side next to her with worried faces.

"You okay, Mandy?" Leo asked in concern.

"I'm fine, just that doctor appointment was a set up."

"Who would want to set you up?" Luna asked in shock.

"I bet it was Lisa," Leo said in rage. "She's always done stuff like this! I'm gonna-" Mandy cut him off by waving her hand.

"No, it wasn't Lisa, and if it was I doubt she'd be smart enough to know who my eye doctor really is."

They laughed at that.

"You think it was you know who?" Luna asked.

"Nah, not _him_ either. He may know, but I doubt he'd pull something like that."

"What about your dads boss?" Leo asked out of the blue. "I mean, its possible, right? He knows your birthday, your plans for college, your school record, and everything. He even knows your doctor."

Mandy felt her eyes threatening to glow red, but it was rather a feeling of numbness than pain. She could only assume that it was coming from Luna.

"Yeah, that is possible. Good thinking, Leo."

Leo smiled, glad to see that he had impressed his babysitter with that assumption.

"You want us to leave you alone so you could rest?" Luna asked. Mandy nodded and the two left her alone to think.

_'Luna's a signer,' _she thought sadly.

_Yes, child, _the Crimson Dragon said in dismay, _I chose Luna because of the promise she made for the Spirit World. You do remember visiting there, do you not?_

_'Not really.'_

_All will be explained soon, but for now, rest._

Mandy nodded and closed her eyes as she drifted off to sleep.

Yusei made arrangements to get his runner back, but while doing this his mind drifted off to Mandy. He had explained to Yanagi and Tanner of how they met, and how he had saved her life. Yanagi was surprised by this. It was no wonder the girls had taken off. Tanner smiled as Yusei explained Mandy's cold reaction toward Jacks invitation to his victory dinner.

"Well, I'm not surprised," he had said. "Jack never stopped chasing after Mandy, which caused her to be harassed by you know who. She'd often come here to get away from him, because she knows that Goodwin would never allow him to come here."

Then he thought of the little story of Mandy's life growing up. Ever since her mother had died, her father had become very protective of Mandy and therefore did not allow her to turbo duel until she was ready. From what Tanner explained, Mandy was a gifted duelist and always believed in her cards as her mom did. Tanner had also helped raise Mandy, because he was close friends with Chloe and had helped her become the Queen of Games.

Yusei always heard from other prisoners that Mandy was a good kid and was starting to take after her mother.

He then started to think back on the last time he saw her, she had ran away with her friends before he could even get a chance to talk to her. She looked different the first time he saw her, which he thought she was pretty, but now that he's seen again, though it was only a few short seconds, his mind seemed to have frozen.

The first time had seen Mandy she was wearing glasses and dark clothes. Now she looked amazing, thanks to the new clothes and contacts that is, though he didn't think that. The first time he thought she was pretty, but he's starting to think how beautiful she was now. Yusei blushed at those thoughts and he shook his like crazy.

_'What's up with me lately?' _he thought. _'How can I think she's beautiful when I only saw her for a few seconds!'_

Mandy woke up to find herself in bed. She got up and stretched her tired muscles, taking in the room as she did so. She was in the room that Leo and Luna had made for her. They probably thought she'd be more comfortable on her bed than the couch, which made her smile.

Once she was in the livingroom, the twins looked up at her with smiles. "Hey, Mandy."

"Hey," she replied yawning, "how long have I been out?"

"A good couple of hours," Leo answered. "You really looked like you needed it, so we didn't want to bother you."

"But then we thought that you'd be alot more comfortable in bed," Luna continued, "so we moved you to the room." Mandy leaned down and kissed the top of their heads.

"Well, that's very sweet of you two." She looked down the coffe table and saw their decks. "Working on your dueling cards, I see."

"Yeah, we figured we could work on some strategies before the Fortune Cup," Leo explained.

"You are going, right?" Luna asked.

"Duh, of course I'm going," Mandy replied rolling her eyes. "I am not missing the chance to kick Jacks butt."

The twins laughed, making Mandy join them. She watched them work on their deck, in case she could be of assistance if there was a flaw. A few mintues past when Mandy felt like something, or some_one_ was coming. She looked behind the couch then got up and walked out to the door.

"What's wrong, Mandy?" Luna asked.

Mandy didn't answer, but her eyes glowed red as she felt Yusei coming closer. When she realised who was coming, she immediately bolted out the door. The twins became alarmed and followed her. Once they were outside, they came to a stop at the sight of a runner on the ground damaged.

Mandy recognised the runner and she ran to Yusei's side. She grab his face in her hands in worry as she examined his wounds.

_'Oh no, Yusei,' _she thought desperately. Then felt her eyes burn as they glowed, and she clutched them in pain. Leo and Luna were confused at the sight.

"Mandy, who's that?" Leo asked.

"Is he okay?" Luna said after.

Mandy looked down at Yusei, and then the twins. "No time for questions, he needs help."

The twins wanted to asked again, but Mandy cut them off. "I'll explain later. Just help me get him inside."


	12. A Duel to Remember

**This is the next chapter people, and I'm glad that you have all been patient. If you haven't, I'm on a busy fucking schedule okay!**

**Disclaimer: other than my oc's, I don't own shit**

**Read and review. Or don't. I don't care-.-**

* * *

><p>Mandy and the twins had Yusei laying on the couch, our heroine softly patting his cheek to make sure he was asleep,... or unless he was dead. Nah, I'm joking!<p>

They had to carry him inside, and he may be healthy but boy was he heavey! They were practicly trying not to drag him down the hall.

"So, how did you know he was coming, Mandy?" Leo asked.

"I don't know," Mandy answered. "I just felt that something was coming."

"Do you think he's okay?" Luna asked, worried about his wounds.

"He's fine, Luna, don't worry."

Luna saw the mark on Yuseis face and became shocked. "Mandy, he has a mark just like you!"

"So," Leo said, "what's wrong with that?"

"Remember the guy who used to clean the pool? Well, he had a mark just like it. When Dad saw that mark, he fired him. That means he's a bad person."

"That's not true! Mandy's got a mark and Dad didn't fire her!"

"Only because he knew it was for my own good, Leo," Mandy said. "This is different, but he's a good person. Talk to his cards and see for youself, Luna."

Luna looked at her big sister with uncertainty, but did what she said and placed her hand on Yusei's deck.

"So what do they say, Luna?" Leo asked.

"They say he's a good person, but he's sad."

"Sad about what?"

"Something a little personal, Leo," Mandy answered. "I've talked to them myself, and they asked me not to tell you guys about it."

Yusei then begins to wake up and immediately the twins began to panic.

"Where am I?" he asked.

"You're in our apartment," Luna answered. "We found you in the alley last night downstairs-"

"You wrecked your bike-" Leo then said, and it just went back and forth.

"You wouldn't wake up for a while-"

"So we brought you up here!"

"You were heavey!"

Mandy smiled and shook her head. "Bringing you up here was my idea."

"Yeah," Leo said, "she looked like she knew you were coming and came to the rescue and-"

"Okay, why don't we introduce ourselves," Mandy interupted quickly.

"Oh, yeah! I'm Leonard, but _please _call me Leo. This is my sister, Luna. We're twins, in case you haven't noticed; not identical twins, obviously. She's a she, and I'm a he. Oh, and this is Mandy, she's our babysitter, but most of the time we like to call her our big sister."

Yusei had picked up his deck when Leo introduced him to Mandy, who wasn't planning on telling them she had already met him anytime soon.

"So, uh, Mister, what's your name?"

Yusei looked at all of them, and then looked at Leo. "I have no idea."

Mandy frowned, but nodded. "Amnesia... Must've hit your head pretty hard." Mandy then got up from the couch. "Now, who's hungry?"

"WE ARE!" the twins shouted.

Mandy chuckled at their enthusiasm, then looked to Yusei. "How 'bout you, Amnesia Man?"

Yusei raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Amnesia Man?"

The twins snickered and Mandy giggled while saying, "Gotta call ya something, don't I?"

"Well, thanks but no thanks." However, once he said that his stomache growled, causing him to blush slightly and Mandy to roll her eyes.

"Yeah, tell that to your stomache." Once that was said, she went into the kitchen and started making her famous homemade chicken stir fry.

"I never met anyone with amnesia before," Leo said.

"Where are we?" Yusei asked as he looked around.

"Check this out," Leo said as he waved his hand making the shades open.

"Leo, just answer his question and tell him where we are," Luna complained, but he ignored her.

"Cool, huh? It's on a motion sensor. We've also got-"

"This is our apartment in the area called the Tops."

Mandy smiled and shook her head. Hey, she loves them, but they argue too much.

"Nice, huh? It's the best place in New Domino City; only super rich people can live here."

"Leo!"

"Guys, no fighting," Mandy warned calmly. "We have a guest, remember?"

The twins looked at the ground. "Right." "Sorry."

Mandy continued to add a few vegetables to the stir fry as Yusei looked at her. "You look familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?"

Mandy looked at him and raised her eyebrow. "No. Do I look like I have that kind of face?"

The twins looked at them in curiosity.

"I think I've seen you before, but I don't know when or where."

"I'll take that as a 'yes' then."

As they started eating, Mandy got a little distracted by Kittybat trying to mess with Sonic Chick.

_'Kittybat, leave Sonic Chick alone!' _Kittybat mewed in annoyance, but did what she said and left the chicken alone.

Yusei couldn't help but look at Mandy every now and then, still wondering if he had seen her before or not. Once they were all done, they got his clothes and gave it to him.

"Now that you got your jacket on, take a deep breath and say 'My name is' and then say your name," Leo suggested.

"He's tried that ten times," Luna said annoyed. "It's obviously not working, Leo."

"Well, it worked on tv," Leo said.

"Leo, tv's different from reality," Mandy stated. "Not everything happens for real."

"There was this guy on this show one time; he was helping people remember things they forgot, like where they left their keys and stuff."

Yusei looked over his shoulder and saw pictures and action figures of Jack Atlas.

"Hey, whatcha lookin' at?"

"Those..." Yusei replied. All three of his hosts looked at the stuff... Look, I know I need to be specific, but come on, he's an ass.

"Huh? Oh, that's my shrine!" Mandy grimaced as Leos eyes seem to brighten. "Jack Atlas is like my all time hero. He's the greatest; no one can beat him in a turbo duel!" The twins didn't notice Mandy smile to herself as she recalled the last duel Yusei had with Jack. "And one day, I'm gonna be a champ, just like Jack!"

"You can't even ride a normal bike," Luna commented.

"I stayed up for 12 seconds, last time I tried! Anyway, does Jack Atlas mean anything to you?"

"Yeah, but I don't know why..." Yusei answered. Mandy frowned.

"I figured as much," she said.

Yusei looks at her, confused as to why she talked so sourly about Jack.

"Oh yeah, Mandy doesn't like him at all, though," Leo said once he noticed the confused look Yusei was giving her.

"He bugs her all the time, of course she doesn't like him," Luna stated sourly at Leo.

"Bugs her?" Yusei asked looking at the twins.

"Yeah," Leo answers, "like calling her nonstop, visiting her school, sending her flowers."

"The other day he got her new number and called her," Luna mentioned. "She freaked out from it. Mandy gets really tired of him easily, and he gives her a big headache, too."

"Plus, her high school enemy, Lisa, harasses her everyday! Keeps calling her mean names, and always challenges her to a duel. But Mandy always wins."

"Is this some sort of crush Jack has on you?" Yusei asks Mandy, making her lean on the arm of the couch.

"Unfortunately, yes," she answers in disgust. "He's been this way towards me for two years, all because of who my mother was."

"Your mother?" Yusei asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, yeah! Her mom was a famous duelist from the Satellite known as Chloe Kitsune," Leo said. "She was a legend! And guess what, Mandy's gonna be the Queen of Games someday, just like her mom!"

"Wow," Yusei said in amazement, looking at Mandy. "Your mom must've been pretty amazing."

Mandy smiled sadly. "Yeah, she was."

The twins frown at her sad tone. They knew she missed her mother, and they hated seeing her sad everytime she thought about her.

"Okay, let's get back to the main topic here. You and Jack Atlas."

"Yeah! Maybe you're a fan of his, too, or maybe you wanted to duel him! You are a turbo duelist," Leo said.

"How'd you know that?" Yusei asked.

"Uh... because we found you next to that duel runner." Leo pointed to the corner.

"Basicly," Mandy said, "it was a lucky guess."

"Mandy's got one, too! She inheritated it from her mom, and it's so awesome when you see it!"

"Her dad gave it to her for her birthday," Luna mentioned with a smile.

"That sounds interesting," Yusei said walking to Mandy's side as she walked to his runner. "Is your dad a duelist, too?"

"No, but he works at the Kaiba Dome," Mandy answered. "Works with Director Rex Goodwin, to be more specific, which also means... he works for Jack Atlas." Mandy groaned as she said that last part.

"You really don't like him, do you?"

"Nope."

"Am I right about you?" Leo asked Yusei excitedly. "Are you a big time duelist who is in town to duel Jack?"

"I don't think I'm a big time anything," Yusei answered touching the bike.

"Maybe you should try hypnotizing him, Leo," Luna said sarcasticly.

"Luna," Mandy said in a warning tone as she put her hands on her hips.

"Sorry," Luna said.

Leo glared at his sister before running to the shrine, grabbing an envelope, and going to Yusei to give it to him. "Mister, maybe you have one of these. I'll take it out, you tell me if it looks familiar."

"Okay," Yusei said.

Leo opened the envelope and showed Yusei a picture of a trophy.

"Well, does this ring any bell?"

"The Fortune Cup?" Yusei asked. Leo nodded.

"Yeah! It's this big tournament between a bunch of people Kaiba Corps. randomly selected; it's gonna be huge! And, hey, hey, get this! They selected me, I'm gonna be in the-"

"Actually, they selected me and Mandy," Luna interupted, making Leo growl.

"Technically, they selected Luna, but she's too scared to enter. So I'm going to pretend to be her, and then enter, and then win that thing!... That is, if I don't go against Mandy." Leo seemed scared at the thought of dueling Mandy, making her smirk.

"No one is going to believe that you're me, Leo," Luna said. Leo growled and ran to his sister.

"Why wouldn't they believe? We're twins, we look just alike!"

"I'm a girl, I'm pretty."

"I'll wear make-up."

"Leo wears make-up! Leo wears make-up!"

"You know what I think, Luna? You're jealous."

"Why are we even arguing about this? We still have a bad guy in our house." Leo became angry at this.

"You don't even kow for sure if he's a bad guy! He probably got framed for a crime he didn't commit!" Mandy frowned and looked nervously at Yusei before looking at the ground in guilt. "That happens, you know. I saw it on tv."

"Um... he's still in the room," Luna whispered. Leo looked dumbfounded and then look at Yusei.

"Thanks for trying to help me and everything, but this Fortune Cup thing isn't ringing any bells," Yusei said as he threw the card over to where Leo had it. "I should get going."

As he was going to leave, Mandy grabs the back of his jacket and pulls him back, making him look at her in confusion.

"Uh-uh-uh," she says as she wags her finger. "We still haven't figured out who you are. And going out into the city by yourself won't help any."

"Yeah, she's right," Leo said. Mandy got an idea, and knelt down to whisper something in Leos ear. Leo brightened. "Cool! Hold on!" Leo ran to a closet.

"Just let him go, Le-" Mandy held up her finger as a way of interupting Luna, who immediately closed her mouth.

"No wait!... Just uh... alright!" Leo brightened as he got his duel disk on. Mandy smiled and nodded as he ran back to them. "Before you go, Mister, I've got one more idea. I challenge you to a duel, Mister Amnesia Man!"

"He's got more important things to do-" Luna was saying, but Mandy cut her off

"Luna," she warned.

"Sorry."

"Dueling might help him remember who he is. It showed my mother who she was."

"Yeah, and I saw it on tv once," Leo said. "Jack was giving an interview and he said that 'When dueling, the duelist feels who he really is'. So if you duel, you might remember who you are, right, Mandy?"

Mandy nodded.

"Come one, come on! Let's duel!" Leo shouted until his disk slid down his arm, making Mandy giggle. "Dumb thing never stays on... This is emberassing." Leo tried to get it fixed as Yusei looked at him, seeing an image of a friend of his. "Just give me a second. I'll fix it up and we'll be good to go."

Yusei smiled slightly. "You know, I think you remind of somebody. I don't know who, but... this might work. Let's do this."

"You mean it?" Leo asked in excitement. Mandy ruffled his hair. Yusei pushed button and his duel disk was unlocked.

"Sweet! Good thing you remember how to do that," Leo said, making Mandy roll her eyes. "Oh man, I'm gonna show you moves you've never seen before!" Leo did some arm movements before his disk slid down again.

Mandy chuckled. "Here, let me help you with that." She took them out to the pool edge and worked on Leos disk.

"So where are your parents?" Yusei asked.

"They're on a _really _important buisness trip," Leo answered.

"They're _always _on buisness trips," Luna said, "but at least we have Mandy to take care of us."

"Mandy's in charge of us with some tutors that come here every now and then, and mostly-"

"What they mean is that I have taken care of them for years," Mandy said.

"Luna doesn't understand that just having Mandy around instead of our parents is the coolest."

"I see," Yusei said in amusement.

Mandy tampered with the disk a little more and was soon finished. "There we go!"

"Uh... it's perfect," Leo said as he waved his arm a little. "Thanks, Mandy."

She smiled and went to sit on the bench with Luna.

"What do you say?" Yusei asked. "You ready to duel? You can have the first turn, Leo." Yusei walked a few feet away from Leo.

"Yeah!"

Luna looked nervously at Leo, but Mandy ruffled her hair in assurance.

"I should warn you, my deck rules," Leo said.

"I'm sure it does," Yusei replied.

"Here we go!"

"LET'S DUEL!"

(Okay, I'm skipping to the end. My brain is mush when it comes to some of the duel scenes okay)

"I sure hope the amazing Leo is ready for an amazing move by my Nitro Warrior," Yusei said.

His Nitro Warrior attacked one of Leos cellphone monsters. Leos lifepoints went to 2000.

"The crowd is not liking this," Leo said nervously.

"The crowd definitely won't like Nitro's special ability... See, when it destroys a monster in battle, it can switch a monster you have in defense mode into attack mode, and then it can battle against that monster. So I'm switching your Cell-Fan in attack mode!"

"No way!" Leo shouted.

"Sorry, but yes way. Nitro Warrior, attack Cell-Fan with Dynamite Crunch!"

As soon as he said it, Cell-Fan was crushed, making Leos lifepoints go to 0. Leo looked like we wanted to cry, making Mandy and Luna go to his side.

"Leo," Luna said, "don't cry when you lose..."

"I'm not crying," Leo said wiping his eyes.

"Yeah, don't be upset," Yusei said walking over to them. "Dueling you helped me remember who I really am. So thanks for helping me get my memory back." Mandy smiled. "So how 'bout I give you some pointers for helping me out. See, you're a really good duelist, but by spending your time and energy trying to get your monsters where you want them to be, you didn't leave room to aniticipate any counter attacks. Your Morph-tronics can adapt, now it's time for you to learn to do the same. Jack Atlas certainly can."

Leo looked down and Luna put a hand on his shoulder.

"I thought you did really good, Leo," Luna said.

"Yeah, and didn't I teach you that you have to adapt to your opponent, Leo?" Mandy said, making him look at her.

"Sorry, Mandy," he apologised. "I guess I forgot. I was just so excited that-"

Mandy kissed his cheek. "I know, Leo. I'm actually glad that you've started to improve."

"So are you gonna tell us who you are?" Leo asked Yusei. Mandy looked at Yusei with a sad smile.

"I'm not sure if that's a good idea," Yusei said and walked away.

"Oh, come on. Pleeeaaasse?"

"You see this marker?" Yusei pointed to his cheek. "Trust me, the less you know about me, the safer you will be."

"Come on, if I don't know who you are, then how can I be your friend?"

"I think that's kinda the point, Leo," Luna said pouting. "He's saying he can't be our friend."

"Yes he can!" Leo argued.

"At least crash with us for the night, stranger," Mandy suggested. "It's getting late."

"Yeah, and maybe in the morning you can tell us who you are!"

"I'll think about that," Yusei said smiling.

"Think about telling us, yes," Mandy stated, "but you're staying the night, mister."

"Whatever you say."

Hours had passed and Mandy was getting ready for bed. Leo and Luna were already asleep, thanks to Yusei's help.

Mandy walked into the livingroom and saw Yusei with the light on. Curious, she walked over and saw the twins duel disks and couple of screwdrivers.

"Leaving goodbye presents, I see," Mandy said.

"Yeah, just thought I'd give 'em a little something as my way of saying thank you," Yusei replied.

"Leo was the main reason."

"But it was your idea wasn't it?"

Mandy became surprised, but smiled. "Yeah, but I don't like to take credit for it."

Yusei looked her over, and yes, she was breath-takingly beautiful. Though she was wearing a blue shirt which had the sleeves ending at her elbows and blue thin striped pants and had her hair in a low ponytail, she was like an angel. Yusei shook his head, making Mandy confused.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Mandy shrugged and got up from the couch, walking into the kitchen. "Well, if you're going to leave, you should at least have some leftovers."

Yusei seemed shocked. "How-"

"Lucky guess," she interupted walking back with a styrofome box. "Plus, my mom was the same way when a couple helped her out."

"I see," he said. "So Jack bothers you, huh?"

"Ugh! Please, I'd rather not talk about that."

Yusei rubbed his neck. "Right. Sorry."

"Don't be," Mandy said smiling.

Yusei returned her smile, and once again gazed into her eyes. She still had that same sparkle that made them look beautiful.

"Okay, you're looking at me like that again and it's creeping me out," Mandy giggled, snapping Yusei out of his trance.

"S-sorry!" Oh crap, he stuttered...

"'Sokay, it's not like you mean any harm."

Soon they were out the door and into the elevator.

"I hate to duel and dash, but it's for their own good," Yusei said. "If I stick around here any longer, it'll get you guys into more trouble."

Mandy nodded. "I understand. My mom did the same thing with the couple when she was on the run."

Yusei looked intensely at her. "You know, you didn't have to pretend we've never met before, Mandy."

"I know, but see they wouldn't understand if I told them the whole story. It gets pretty complicated."

"I understand... I have one question I'd like to ask you." Mandy nodded, allowing him to go on. "Why did you run away back at the Facility? I never got a chance to talk to you."

Mandy looked down in guilt. "Because... I thought you'd be mad at me for not helping you. I wanted to help you escape, really, but Jack held me back. No matter how hard I tried to fight, he wouldn't let me go. So when I saw you again, I got scared."

Yusei took in everything she said and could tell that she indeed wanted to help, but couldn't because of Jack. He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm not angry with you, Mandy. In fact, I actually wanted to say thank you for trying to help me." Mandy looked at him in shock. "You're the first person of this city who has ever showed me any kindness. From what I've heard from the guys at the Facility, you're a lot like your mom. Yanagi and Tanner have told me a little bit about your life growing up, and I want to say that I'm sorry for what happened to your mother. I can see that it must've been hard without her, but I'm glad that you were able to pull through."

Mandy was still shocked, but she smiled. "I'm glad to hear that."

Yusei returned her smile. "They also told me about Jack bothering you, and the whole Lisa-"

Mandy grimaced, but she still smiled awkwardly. "Yeah, I figured they'd tell you that, but like I said I _really _don't want to talk about it."

"Right. Sorry."

"Hey," Mandy said sadly, "I'm sorry for what Jack did to you in the past. I really am."

Yusei shook his head. "There's nothing you could've done to prevent it, Mandy."

"But if there _was _something I could've done, I'd do it."

Yusei smiled at her. "I'm sure you would."

Mandy returned his smile.

Once the elevator stopped, they both stepped out and Yusei got on his runner.

"Promise you won't forget us?" Mandy asked.

"I won't, trust me," Yusei replied.

"Good. And also..." Mandy leaned down and kissed his cheek. "Thank you for saving my life." Yusei blushed at this sudden action, causing Mandy to giggle. "See ya, Yusei." Then she walked into the elevator.

Yusei soon snapped out of it and revved up and rode away.

Once he was further away from the Tops, Yusei reached his hand to his cheek. He could still feel the warmth on his face, but her kiss was nice. Something he never would've expected.

Then Trudge rode in front of him. "I was starting to think that you didn't like me."

Yusei grunted as he tried to slow down, since Trudge was blocking his path.

"I'm taking you in, Yusei. So you gonna come in quietly?"

Yusei just revved up and turned around.

"That's what I was hoping you would-" Then they both get blinded by a light. "What the?"

A car door opened and Lazar stepped out and walked toward them.

"Officer Trudge, aren't you supposed to be guarding the 'Candles and Calendar Keyas' at the outer rim mall?" Lazar mocked.

"I didn't get your name, short stack!" Trudge barked.

"I'm special deputy, Lazar," he said pulling out his ID. "I work for the directed general, and I outrank you. Sorry" Lazar then laughed.

"How come I've never heard of you?" Trudge demanded shocked.

"I'm on official buisness, Officer Trudge. I would advise you to leave the area immediately."

"This bug is a menace! He stole that duel runner from the Ambassador Center, he-"

"Officer! There is very little room in this city for street cops who don't know their place or when to shut their mouths."

Trudge shook with anger.

"So what official 'buisness' are you on?" Yusei asked as Lazar reached into his inner pocket.

"A delivery," he answered handing him an envelope, "for a Mr. Yusei Fudo."

Yusei opened the envelope and his eyes grow wide at the picture of his friends in the Satellite.

"We would like you to participate in the Fortune Cup. If you refuse, the people you see in that photograph will pay the penalty for the rouge actions you took in taking the runner." He walked away, but then turned back around. "Oh, and don't think we won't let your heroic deed in saving Miss Mandy Kuso go unrewarded. You've made yourself quite the hero. Have a good evening." He then got back in the car.

Yusei crushed the invitation and glared at the retreating car.


	13. Bloom of the Black Rose

**Here's the part where they meet the Black Rose and she kidnaps a certain someone... Damnit! Gave it away! Well, at least I didn't say who she was kidnapping, cuz you gotta read to find out**

**Disclaimer: I don't own jackshit**

**Read and review. Or don't. I don't care-.-**

* * *

><p>Mandy was sleeping soundly, dreaming of being in the arms of a figure in a dark cloak. She felt it strange to be dreaming like this, because she has never had dreams like this before. The figure took off their mask and was panting. Mandy wanted to move, but she realized she couldn't from the paralysis she was in. Mandy couldn't make out the figures face, but she could only assume that it was a woman. The woman looked down at Mandy and stroked her face.<p>

She woke up to Leos screaming, assuming that he noticed Yusei was gone.

"He's gone! No, no, no, no, no!"

Mandy got up, stretched, and then walked tiredly out of her room. Luna came out, too, probably because of her brothers screaming.

Once they were both down the steps, they saw Leo going into hysterics.

"Luna! Mandy! He took his runner and left!"

"Well, did he leave a note or something?" Luna asked as Mandy went into the kitchen started making breakfast.

"No! This is all your fault! You should've been nicer to him like Mandy was! He was gonna teach me to be the best duelist ever!"

Luna looked down at the coffee table and saw their duel disks.

"Look at these," she said, picking her disk up.

"Woah, what did he do to them?" Leo asked, putting his on. "It fits now!"

"Yep," Mandy said as she cracked some eggs into the pan. "I caught him fixing 'em up last night. I gotta say, he's quite the mechanic."

"Do you know why he left, Mandy?" Leo asked.

Mandy looked at them with a sad smile. "He's the type of person who doesn't want to put others in danger because of his actions."

"I just wish we knew who he was so we can thank him," Luna said.

"Well, it's his fault for not telling us his name," Leo said. "I mean, he had amnesia and we helped him. If he wanted to thank us, he should've stayed."

"I guess, but why no goodbye?"

"Why do you think he fixed your duel disks?" Mandy said as she finished up the bacon and put out some plates down. "They're thank you and goodbye presents."

"Really?" they both asked.

Mandy set the food on each plate. "Of course. You honestly think he's the type of person who doesn't leave presents to remember him by?"

They pouted as they looked down at the ground. Mandy smiled.

"Come on, let's watch some tv while we eat."

"So why didn't you have him stay with us a little longer, Mandy?" Luna asked as they were watching their favorite action movie.

Mandy smiled sadly. "Because he reminded me of Mom."

"How?" Leo asked in curiosity.

"Have I ever told you the story of how a couple took care of my mom when she was on the run?"

The twins shook their heads and scooted closer to her.

"Well, she was running away from a bunch of street cops when she arrived in New Domino. Along the way, she got hurt very badly and she fell unconcious. Next thing she knew, she woke up in a strange room. A man came in to check on her and was relieved to see that she was alright. Mom asked where she was and he told her that he found her in an alley and brought her to his home. His wife helped her with her wounds, and even let her borrow some clothes because hers were dirty." The twins laughed as she tickled their stomaches. "Mom was confused as to why they were doing this for her, and they asked her why she was in the city. When she told them about her dream, they couldn't help but admire her. They told her that since she had a goal to settle, they couldn't just leave her there in the alley. So they gave her some meals, and she was getting ready to leave. Mom wished she could've stayed with them, but she didn't want them to get into trouble. They understood this, so they let her go."

The twins stared in awe as they listened to the story.

"So now you see why he couldn't stay?" she asked them, and they nodded.

"But why couldn't he tell us goodbye?" Luna asked. "Maybe he wonders the city helping out struggling duelists. Kind of like a knight in shining armor, but with a deck."

"I think he's more like a superhero," Leo said.

Mandy giggled. "You two have such strong imaginations, it makes me wish I was a kid again."

"Hey, Mandy," Luna said, "do you think he could be _your _knight in shining armor?"

Mandy blinked at her. "Huh?"

"No way!" Leo said. "He could be her superhero!"

"Woah! What brought this up?" Mandy asked.

"Well, we saw the way he was looking at you the whole time he was here," Luna said. "He kept on looking at you every five minutes."

"I think he likes you, Mandy," Leo said.

"Okay, and you two are telling me this _why?_"

The twins looked down.

"Because we want you have a special someone," Luna said.

"We know how much you don't like Jack because he treats you like some kind of trophy," Leo said. "So when we caught that guy staring at you..."

"We thought that maybe he could be the one for you..."

Mandy smiled at them. "Aw, come here, you guys." She wrapped her arms around them in a group hug, which they returned. "Really, guys, I'm fine. Yes, I'm still hoping that someone special will come for me soon, but until that happens, I'm gonna be alright. Besides, who needs a man when I got you guys."

Mandy started tickling them again, making them both laugh.

"And speaking of Jack," Mandy said as she got up from the couch. "I think I'll go pay him a little visit."

The twins became confused at this as she went into her room to change. Once she was done, she had a devious smile.

"Alright, there's leftover dinner in the fridge. Keep the doors locked. Don't open up for strangers. And remember, don't prank Lisa without me."

"Um, okay," they said as she kissed their heads.

"I'll be back in a flash," she said as she winked and walked out the door.

"What do you think she's gonna visit him for?" Luna asked Leo, who only shrugged.

Mandy pulled out her phone and called Alexa and Cayenne.

"Hey, guys, I've got an idea..."

All three girls arrived at Jacks place... I think it was some sort of pent house...? Eh, who cares.

Anyway, as they reached his door, Mandy knocks and is answered by Mina.

"Oh, hello, girls," Mina greeted, surprised to see that Mandy would come here.

Mandy put on a sweet smile. "Hey, Mina. Is Jack home?"

"Uh... Yes, he is," Mina answered, becoming even more surprised. "Why don't you girls come inside?" She moved over to let the girls in.

Mandy and her friends took time to look around, and they had to admit, he really did pick a nice place to crash in.

"Mr. Atlas, there's a certain someone here to see you," Mina called.

Jack came downstairs as he said, "Goodwin, if this another one of your 'history' talks, I'm not in the-" but as he was further down, his eyes widen as he caught sight of Mandy with her friends, who smiled cutely and waved.

"Hiya, Jack," Mandy said cutely.

Jack soon regained his senses and smiled charmingly. "Well, hello, Mandy. What brings you here?"

"Oh, nothing," she answers, shrugging her shoulders. "Just thought I'd pay you a little visit."

"Well, if I knew you'd be coming," Jack said, "I would've gotten this place cleaned up."

"Oh, it's fine, Jack. There's no need for that. I just wanted it to be a surprise. It's not really fair that you visit me everyday, so I thought maybe I could visit you."

This made Jack even more pleased than he was when he first saw her in his house. _His house!_ Would he dare pinch himself to see if this was a dream?... Wow, that was sappy on his part.

"Well, I can't tell you how happy it makes me to see you here, Mandy."

Mandy smiled in the cutest way she could smile. "You don't have to, I can already tell."

Jack could almost feel his heart skipping a few beats. Oh, if this was a dream, he does not want to wake up... Oh god, that was creepy.

"Mina, why don't you give us some alone time? Show the girls around?"

Mina gaped at him. "Uh,..."

"Actually, Mina, I'd like Alexa and Cayenne to stay," Mandy said. "Is that okay with you, Jack?"

Jack nodded. "Mina, you can go now."

Mina still gaped at him, but she nodded and left.

Mandy looked around the pent house. "This is a very nice place you have here. It must be nice to be the champ, isn't it?"

Jack walked towards them, still having his 'charming' smile.

"You bet it is," he said with pride. "Can I get you girls a drink?"

"Nah, we can find the kitchen ourselves," Alexa said as she and Cayenne walked to the kitchen. I don't know if he had one, but lets just say he does.

Mandy gave them a wink, which they returned, as they slipped in the kitchen. She then turned her attention to Jack. "So I heard about your duel with Hunter, and they say that you almost lost your touch."

Jack frowned at this. "So you've heard? I couldn't get my mind off of my duel with Yusei." He clenched his fist at this. "That Satellite almost made me lose my title because of that duel. I'll make him pa-"

"Hey," Mandy interupted, walking to him and putting her hand on his shoulder, "there's no need to get so worked up about it. Nobody saw the duel except me and my girls. We haven't said a word about it."

_'Not yet anyway,' _she thought.

Jack smiled and took her hand off his shoulder so he could place it on his chest.

"Seeing you here has already made me forget about that," he said. "It's like you're the only cure for my frustrations."

Mandy placed a hand on her heart. "Oh, Jack, I should've known that you were saying sweet words to me all these years."

_'Ugh! I think I'm gonna be sick!'_

"Don't worry about that, love." Oh, God! He's gotten worse! "I'm not one to hold a grudge against you."

Mandy smiled and placed her other hand on his chest, her finger tracing small circles.

"You know, I can't help but notice how handsome you really are."

Jack smiled seductively as he pulled her back with him towards the couch.

"Really?"

Mandy closed her eyes as she hummed, and then opened them halfway. "So strong, cunning, sweet, having good choice of words..."

_'Oh my god! If this keeps up, I might end up throwing up on his jacket.'_

Once they were close to the couch, Jack wrapped his arms around her small form.

"What about that Satellite?"

Mandy got on her tiptoes as she leaned into his embrace. "What Satellite?"

Jack smirked as he leaned in for a kiss, but as he got closer he heard a couple clicks. Mandy smiled and pulled away from him entirely.

Jack got confused, but he soon looked behind him and saw that he was in handcuffs.

"What the?"

Mandy laughed as he started to struggle.

"You really thought I was gonna do it? Man, you're even stupider than I thought!"

She continued laughing as he continued to struggle. Alexa and Cayenne soon joined her in the laughter as they came out of the kitchen.

"Hey! What is this? Why can't I move?"

Alexa was the one to answer. "It's a new magnetic space chip that my uncle made. I threw it on the couch while _you_ weren't looking."

Jacks fury had become worse as he kept on struggling.

"What's the meaning of this!"

"This," Mandy replied, "is for sending Yusei to the Facility, and a little payback for bugging me all these years." Mandy walked to his deck and started looking through the cards. "Now, where are you?" She then pulled out Stradust Dragon with a satisfied smile. "There you are!"

"Hey!" Jack shouted. "What do you think you're doing!"

"I'm returning this to it's rightful owner," Mandy said smirking. "Have a nice day."

The girls began walking to the door, leaving Jack shocked and even more angry.

"Hey! You can't just leave me here like this!"

"Sure I can," Mandy said as she opened the door. "See ya." With that, she closed the door behind her friends.

As they ran down the hall, Mandy threw Mina the key.

"You'll find out once you get back!"

Mina blinked at the girls and looked at the key in confusion.

Outside, the girls were laughing as they hurriedly got on their runners.

"That was so crazy!" Alexa said.

"You're such a genius, Mandy!" Cayenne said.

Mandy revved up. "Hey, it's my specialty."

With that said, they rode off in laughter.

As Mina opened the door, Jack had a hard time with the handcuffs.

"Mina! Get me out of this!"

Mina gasped and ran to his side. As she unlocked the cuffs, Jack sprang free in fury.

"That little! I can't believe she tricked me like that!"

He then stormed off before he could give Mina a chance to say something.

Somewhere in downtown, Yusei and Tanner were getting ready to duel. That is, until Jack came by.

As he got off the runner, he glared at Yusei.

"Hello there, Yusei."

Yusei returned the glare. "Hello, Jack."

"How was the Facility?"

"It was good."

Jacks glare became intense. "Mandy came by at my place and-"

"Well, that's a surprise," Tanner interupted. "She's not really one to visit arrogant assholes like you."

Jack looked at him with a smirk. "Hey there, Tanner. How'd _you_ enjoy the Facility? I hope it didn't burn your reputation after all these years."

Tanner growled at this, but Jack ignored him as he turned back to Yusei.

"Jack, you know what's going on here with Goodwin, don't you?" Yusei said. "He sent a little messenger and gave me this." He pulled out a photo of his friends. "He's got 'em held captive, and if I don't participate in the Fortune Cup, they pay! Know anything about that?"

Jack became confused at this, but he glared again. "I had nothing to do with that, Yusei. Goodwin does his own buisness." Jack turned back around. "I guess I'll be seeing you at the Fortune Cup then. Well, that's good because I've got a score to settle with you." As he got on his runner, he looked at Yusei with a hateful glare. "And one more thing... Stay away from Mandy Kuso, got it? She's mine."

Once that was said and done, he rode off.

"Scums got a lot of nerve talking about Mandy like that," Tanner growled. "Acting like she's his trophy."

Yusei couldn't help but think about Mandy. Jack seems pretty possessive of her, from what he could tell, and it's no wonder why she's so irritated with him all the time. Jack only likes her because her mom was the Queen of Games. Her feelings didn't matter to him, all he cares about is the fame that he'll get if he was with her. Mandy doesn't like guys like that.

Mandy and her friends kept on laughing as they walked into the apartment. Leo and Luna looked at them. What was so funny?

"The look on his face," Alexa said.

"I know," Mandy replied.

"What's so funny? What happened?" Luna asked.

"Oh, nothing," Mandy sighed wiping away a tear. "Don't worry about it."

"Oh, Mandy," Leo said as he ran to her. "You won't believe it. Dexter just got a battle with the Black Rose this afternoon."

"The lady who uses magic to make cards come to life?" Alexa asked in disbelief. "She's a myth."

"Let me guess," Mandy said leaning down to his level. "You want me to take you and Dexter out in downtown to find her?"

"Yeah," Leo said. "Please, Mandy?"

"Alright." Mandy looked at Luna. "You gonna be okay by yourself?"

"Uh-huh," Luna answered.

"Okay, go get your duel disk."

Once they arrived in downtown, Mandy warned the boys to stay close to them. Leo, however, didn't listen as he went to go bother some old koot. Mandy rolled her eyes, but didn't bother to call Leo back by her side.

Then Yusei spots a certain dark shoulder-lengthed hair with the same beautiful hazel eyes, which turned and spotted him. Mandy couldn't help but smile and wave.

"Hey, Yusei!"

This got her friends attention as Yusei started walking over to her.

"Hey," he greeted her. "I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"Surprise, surprise," Mandy said.

Alexa cleared her throat as a way of getting Mandy's attention.

"Oh, yeah. Yusei, these are my friends, Alexa and Cayenne." Alexa did a rock and roll sign with her hand and Cayenne waved as Mandy gestured to each of them.

"Nice to meet you," Yusei says.

"Likewise," Alexa said.

"No way," Mandy said looking behind Yusei. She smiled as she started running to Tanner and gives him an attack hug. "Tanner!" She then jumps off so she could give Yanagi a hug as well. "And Yanagi, too!" She pulled away in excitement. "You guys are out."

"Goodwin allowed us to leave," Tanner says.

Mandy turned her attention to Blister, who had his hand out.

"Names's Blister," he greets.

Mandy takes his hand and shakes with a smile. "Mandy Kuso."

"I'm Alexa," Alexa says shaking his hand.

"And I'm Cayenne," Cayenne says.

"Nice to meet you girls," Blister says politely.

Mandy turned her attention to Leo, who was bugging some old guy.

"Leo, get over here and stop bothering them!"

Leo turned his attention to her, and then gapes at the sight of Yusei.

"Hey, Amnesia Man!" he shouts, running over to them.

"What're you guys doing here?" Yusei asks.

"We came to find the Black Rose," Alexa answered.

After a while of talking about the Fortune Cup, something came across Mandy's mind.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Mandys said, digging into her boot. "I have something for you." Yusei looked at her with interest as she pulls out a card. "Tadaa!"

Yuseis eyes widened as he recognized his Stardust Dragon. "How did you get this?"

Mandy handed him the card. "I got it from Jack."

"He gave it to you?"

"Well, sort of..."

"Did you ask?"

Mandy quirked an eyebrow. "Why would I wanna do that?"

Tanner laughed. "Ya stole it, didn't you?"

Mandy giggled. "Yeah."

"How'd you steal it?" Leo asked in curiosity.

"I hand-cuffed him."

Tanner had started laughing even harder at the information, making the girls join him.

Mandy soon stopped laughing as she felt a strange presence coming from the ground. Then her eyes began to burn, making her grunt and clutch her eyes.

"Mandy, you okay?" Alexa asked.

Then Yuseis arm started to burn, making him grunt and clutch it.

"Yusei!" everyone said in alarm.

Everyone had started running away as vines started cracking out of the ground, tossing Yusei and the others back. Mandy and her friends, however, remained where they were, but the vines surrounded followed the trail of vines and it belonged to a dragon.

"Who's dragon is that?" Yusei shouted in alarm.

A tornadoe had started to form, and then a dark cloaked figure came out. This was the Black Rose.

Yuseis had his sleeve pulled up to reveal a mark glowing on his arm.

Leo looked in awe. "The mark of the dragon," he says quietly, as he remembers the mark on his sister.

Mandy had screamed as the burn in her eyes had gotten worse.

"Mandy, what's wrong?" Alexa exclaimed.

"My eyes...," she whimpered. Then she slowly opened her eyes halfway, revealing her crimson eyes.

The Black Rose gasped at the sight of her eyes.

"You have the eyes!" she shouted behind her mask.

"What's she talking about?" Cayenne asked in alarm.

"She's a... sig... ner," Mandy said weakly and then she fainted. However, a vine had caught her and took her to the Black Rose, who caught her and held her bridal style.

"Mandy, no!" Yusei shouted, which got the Black Roses attention. Then she spots his mark and gasps.

"Your arm! You also have a mark," she shouted.

"I do," Yusei said, and then started stepping closer.

"Stay away from me!" Black Rose shouted as she threw a card that made an explosion of light which surrounded both her and Mandy. Everyone shielded their eyes from the light, and once it vanished, both she and Mandy were gone.

"Oh, no!" Alexa shouted. "She took Mandy!"

"We found her," Dexter said holding onto Leo. "We found the Black Rose."

"Awesome," Leo said.

"Guys!" Alexa shouted. "Now's not the time. The Black Rose kidnapped Mandy!"

Yusei put a reassurring hand on Alexas shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll find her."

"How?" Blister asked in disbelief. "We don't even know where she took her."

"We have to call somebody," Cayenne said desperately.

"Oh, man," Alexa said running her hand through her hair. "How're we gonna explain this to her dad?"

Later in the evening, the Black Rose ran into an alley with Mandy in her arms. She slid down the brick wall as she panted.

_'That mark. Why did he have one?' _she thought to herself, removing her mask and continuing to pant. She then looks at Mandy and strokes her face. _'Well, it doesn't matter now. So long as I have **her** with me.'_

Hours had passed and Mandy began to stir. She groaned as she slowly opened her eyes to find herself in a strange room. She sat up as she rubbed her eyes, and then scanned the room around her.

_'Where am I?'_ she thought. _'How did I get here?'_

"Oh, good. You're awake," a voice says. Mandy turned to the owner of the voice and saw a magenta haired girl in a chair on the other side of the room.

Mandy's eyes glowed again and she clutched them as they began to burn, causing her to whimper.

The woman looked at her in alarm. Eventually, Mandy's eyes stopped glowing and the burning began to fade. Mandy turned her attention to the woman.

"So you're the Black Rose, huh?" she asked.

The woman nodded and got up to walk over to her. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you. You're safe."

"Safe? Safe from what? Why am I here!"

"Because you need to be protected," the woman answers sitting on the bed next to her.

Mandy wanted to shout at her, but she just sighed in exhaustion. The woman put a hand on her shoulder and held out the other.

"I'm Akiza," she says.

Mandy couldn't help but look at her, and then smile and take her hand. "Mandy."

"How are your eyes?"

"They're a little numb now, but they should be fine afterwards."

Akiza nodded. "Good."

Mandy couldn't help but look at Akizas right arm in sadness. "You're a signer?"

Akiza seemed taken aback by this, but she frowned and nodded. "Yes."

"You think it's a curse. Why?"

Akiza looked at her amazement, causing Mandy to blush.

"I-I read your thoughts as my eyes glowed..."

Akizas expression turned into one of understanding. "You know, this is the first time someone's ever talked to me like this."

Mandy gave her a confused looked. "Really?"

"Well, I've never learned to talk to someone like this, and I think I'd like to learn to tell someone about my past if they share theirs..."

Mandy couldn't help but smile. "You wanna learn?"

Akiza nodded. "I learned that the first step is to share one's past to another. So, please, begin sharing."

And share they do. Mandy insisted on going first, which Akiza allowed. Mandy shared some memories about her parents, mostly her mom, but she was close to crying when she described her mothers death. Akiza had rubbed Mandy's shoulder in comfort, saying she was sorry for what happened. Mandy then continued on the story of her childhood, her friends, her family, the twins. She even told Akiza about Jack's pursuit on Mandy and Lisas harassments. They both laughed when she talked about tricking him and stealing a dragon that didn't belong to him.

"You must be a very good actress to pull off something like that," Akiza complemented, giggling.

"Are you kidding me?" Mandy asked, grimacing at the memory. "I'm surprised I was able to say that crap to him without _vomitting!_"

Akiza laughed again.

"So what's your story?"

Akiza began to talk about her childhood, and explained her phsycic powers. Because of the mark, Akiza had a hard life growing up, and she told her how she went to duel academy. Then she explained about Sayer and the Arcadia Movement, a group of phsycics who are against an evil group called Yliaster, who are supposedly after Mandy for her eyes.

"Why me?" Mandy asked saddly, which was meant to be for herself.

"Because the Crimson Eye Keeper is said to be one of the most powerful signers in history and that only the Keeper can see the Crimson Dragon," Akiza answered.

Mandy became even more sad than she already was about that sort of news. Akiza rubbed her shoulder in comfort.

"Don't worry, no one's going to come for you. Not as long as you're with me. So, stay with me. Come with me to Sayer and he will protect you."

Mandy shook her head. "Akiza, I'm glad that you're willing to protect me, but I have a life to live. My dad, friends, and kids... they need me right now."

"They'll only be in danger if you stay with them."

"But they're my _family,_ Akiza. I can't just abandon them."

Then a knock was heard at the door.

"Quick, Mandy! Hide!" Akiza silently shouted.

Mandy got on the floor and crawled under the bed. Akiza went to the door and opened it.

"Yes?"

"Akiza Izinski?" someone asked.

"May I help you?"

"I came here to deliver a letter," the stranger said, handing Akiza a letter.

She opened and it showed a picture of a trophy.

"We'd like for you to attend the Fortune Cup tomorrow. Be sure to be on time."

The stranger then left, and Akiza closed the door. Mandy crawled out from under the bed and walked to Akiza.

"So are you going?" she asked, looking at the letter.

"I don't think I have much of a chioce," Akiza replied. "Are you in the Fortune Cup as well?"

Mandy nodded, then looked at her with pleading eyes. "Please, Akiza, let me go home now. My dad's probably already worried about me."

Akiza looked hesitant, but nodded. "Alright. But I'm warning you now. You're in danger, Mandy. Don't forget that."

Mandy nodded and then hugged Akiza. The magenta haired woman was taken aback, but she returned the hug.

"Thank you, Akiza."

With that, Mandy opened the door and left.


	14. Welcome to the Fortune Cup

**Next chapter is the Fortune Cup. Don't like, don't read**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**Read and review. Or don't. I don't care-.-**

* * *

><p>Mandy had been on her way home when she was found by Trudge.<p>

"Mandy!" he shouted.

Mandy looked at him in shock. "Trudge?"

"We've been looking all over for you. Are you alright? Did the Black Rose do anything to you?"

"I'm fine, Trudge."

Trudge handed her a helmet as she walked over to his bike and got on. "How did you escape?"

Mandy wrapped her arms around his waist as he revved up. "I didn't. She let me go."

Trudge gave her an incredulous look, but said nothing and just rode her home. Her father had hugged her in joy once she got back, glad to see that she was okay.

The next day, Mandy and her friends were getting ready to leave for the Fortune Cup. They were so excited that they didn't notice Mandy's dad coming towards them.

"Going somewhere?" he asked, making the girls flinch.

Mandy turned around to face her dad as her friends pulled out their cellphones, each calling the twins and Dexter.

"Hey, Dad," Mandy said nervously.

"Mandy, I wanted to talk you about-"

"About my chores. They're done."

"No, it's about-"

"Last night. Dad, I told you I was okay. The Black Rose let me go. If it's about my homework, it's all-"

"Mandy!" her dad exclaimed.

"Yeah," Mandy said nervously.

"All I wanted to say is _good luck._"

Mandy smiled in excitement and her dad nodded his head with a smile of his own.

"Thanks, Dad," she says and kisses his cheek.

As she runs to her runner, her dad says, "Go out there and show that Jack Atlas who's boss."

"Tch. Jack Atlas," Mandy said, rolling her eyes. "Hate the name." They then revved up and rode away to the Kaiba Dome.

Once they were there, they were greeted by Leo and Luna running and hugging Mandy.

"Mandy!"

"You're okay!"

Mandy pulled away with a smile. "Course I'm okay. What? Did you think I was dead or something?"

"We thought the Black Rose did something to hurt you," Luna said.

"How did you escape?" Leo asked.

"She let me go," she answered casually.

The twins became surprised and they are soon greeted by Yusei.

"Really?" he asked.

Mandy looked up at him. "Well, hello to you, too. And yes, she did."

"Are you alright?" Yusei asked, coming to her and grabbing her hand in worry.

Mandy smiled. "Yes, Yusei. I'm fine... You can let go of my hand now."

Yusei looked down at their hands and blushed before immediately pulling his hand back. Mandy giggled as well as the twins as Yusei rubbed his head. He could've _sworn _he felt his heart pounding!

"Well, either way, we're glad you're safe and sound," Alexa said.

Mandy's thoughts immediately drifted to what Akiza had said.

_You're in danger, Mandy. Remember that._

Mandy bit her lip. Why did the Crimson Dragon have to give her its eyes? Why did this have to happen to her?

"You okay?" Yusei asked.

Mandy gave him a sheepish smile. "I'm fine. Just thinking." She then turned her attention to Leo and giggled. "Okay, you are not going out there looking like that."

She knelt down to his level and started wiping off the make-up.

"You better not emberass me, Leo," Luna said.

"Come on, Luna. Just chill out," Leo said. "I'm about to make you a dueling legend. What do you say, Mr. Amnesia Man? You ready?"

"Yeah," Yusei said smiling.

"Don't think that you'll make it past the first round if I go against you," Mandy said smirking.

"Think you can beat me?" Yusei asked, returning the smirk.

Mandy got up from Leo's level, then got on her tiptoes and kissed Yuseis cheek. "I know I can."

Yusei blushed furiously, and Mandy and the others couldn't help but laugh.

"Duelists young and old, professional and amature alike! Put your hands together for our master of ceremonies, Dircetor Rex Goodwin!"

Everyone cheered.

"R-E-X!" The cheeleaders had begun cheering, but then they screamed as a strong wind began blowing. Then a tornado appeared and Red Dragon Archfiend had spread its wings.

"Ladies and gentlmen, Red Dragon Archfiend has taken to the skies! You know what that means! Lets hear it for the raining champion, the king of the cards, the one man who rules the duels, the Master of Faster himself! Jack Atlas!"

Jack had shot out from a... Whatever those things are called, and rode infront of Red Dragon Archfiend, who was kneeling down as he landed. He took off his helmet and stood up from his runner.

"New Domino City, whats say we kick this tournament into overdrive! Lets get this started!"

"It's time we get to meet the lucky duelists who were selected at the chance to compete to go head to head with Mr. Atlas! The Fortune Sixteen!

The stage beneath the competitors began to slowly rise.

"This is it," Mandy said, ruffling Leos hair.

"Woah! Look at all the people!" Leo said.

All the competitors were cheered on as the Fortune Sixteen appeared.

"Lets give it up for the always mysterious Shira, the great Greiger, Commander Koda, the Professor, Miss Akiza Izinski..."

Mandy waved at Akiza, who smiled and waved back.

"Sir Ransbourg (**A/N** I don't know if I spelt that right, but who cares), Titus Yamaguchi, the popular Miss Lisa..."

"Lisa!" Mandy exclaimed.

"What's she doing here?" Leo asked in shock.

"Sorin the disco guy, Desmia the magician, the lovley Miss luna, and Yusei Fudo..."

"Hey, dudes," a memeber of the audience said. "That guys got a mark."

"Yeah, totally."

"What's a Satellite doing here?"

"Who is that lowlife?"

"I'll bet ya anything he took someones invitation."

Everyone was saying negative things about Yusei, which made Alexa angry.

"HEY! ZIP IT OR I'LL COME OVER THERE AND ZIP IT FOR YOU!"

"So your names Yusei?" Leo asked looking at Yusei.

"Yep, now don't where it out," he replied.

"That's not much of a superhero name."

"Super what?"

"Nevermind," Mandy said.

"Lose the loser! Lose the loser!"

Everyone began chanting that, making the guy with the big hair nervous.

"Give me that," Greiger said as walked up and grabbed the microphone. "I have to say something. My name is Greiger. I know things are different here in this city, but where I come from you judge a guy on his spirit. This kid right here may have been branded by your people as a no good, but when I look at him all I see is a duelist, and being a duelist myself that means I have to respect him until he gives me a reason not to. And have you all forgotten that the late Chloe Kitsune was also a Satellite?"

Everyone began murmuring to themselves in guilt as they remembered the late Queen of Games had also been a Satellite.

"Yes, and I respect her. So in disrespecting this man, you have disrespected her, and in disrespecting her, you have also disrespected her only child. Her daughter, Mandy..."

As Greiger had said that, he looked at Mandy as did everyone else. Everyone felt even more guilty once he mentioned that. Leo grabbed her hand in comfort, but Mandy only smiled sadly. Yusei put his hand on her shoulder, and Akiza looked at her sadly.

"Because a duelist doesn't judge another duelist based on where he comes from, or who his family is, or how much money he has. That isn't what really matters."

Greiger then returned to where he was. Leo had been crying after the speech. Then Goodwin began clapping, and soon everyone started clapping as well.

"Here's your mic," Greiger said, handing the big-haired guy his mircophone.

"Uh, thank you."

Goodwin then stood and said, "Thank you for those well chosen and heart felt words. In our world, social status and personal wealth draw a line between ourselves and our fellow men. But I had a vision of a duel tournament that would if only for a fleeting while remove that line. A tournament so seperate from the competition of life. Where the haves and have nots could meet eachother on a level playing field, and prove themselves and eachother to the world. Fellow duelists, welcome to the Fortune Cup!"

Everyone began cheering.

"Hold up, everybody!" the big-haired guy said. "I almost forgot our sixteenth competitor! She's here to fight for the crown! She's here in her mothers honor! She's the one we all know and love! Put your hands together for the heir of New Domino City, Mandy Kuso!"

Everyone began cheering like crazy once Mandy's image showed. Mandy simply smiled and waved.

"Hi, everybody," she greeted. That only seemed to get everyone more excited.

"Miss Kuso," Goodwin said, getting her attention. "Our apologies for disrespecting your mother like that. I'm sure that through you and your duels that we shall see the late Chloe Kitsune once again. You have grown to be as every bit of your mother as you are now. She was a gifted duelist, and we are proud to have once called her the Queen of Games. We shall pay our respects to her through this tournament." With that, he bowed.

Mandy returned the bow. "Thank you, Director."

Everyone cheered even louder at this.

"And now, lets turn to the racket shuffler! And find out who's dueling who in the first match!"

The shuffler had stopped at the list of duels.

"Look! I'm dueling Greiger in the very first duel!" Leo shouted. Mandy looked at Greiger, and then kneeled next to Leo.

"He's gonna be tough, sweety. So be careful and remember what I taught you."

"I can take that guy, I know I can."

Mandy smiled. "Lets hope so." With that, she placed kiss on top of his forehead for good luck.

Leo had put his deck into his newly improved duel disk.

"This duel disk you fixed up for me rocks," Leo said to Yusei.

"Glad you like it," he replied.

"I can't believe I'm actually about to do this. You don't have like any pointers for me, do ya?"

Yusei nodded. "Yep. Remember to adapt to your opponent."

"I can do that."

"You better," Mandy said.

"Well, well, well," said a voice.

Mandy and the other two looked to see Lisa walking over to them.

"What do we have here?" Lisa asked mockingly. "The little heir to the throne, and one of her little sidekicks."

"Hello, Lisa," Mandy said coldly.

Yusei looked at Lisa, and Mandy and Leo gave her a glare.

"So this is the one whose been harrassing you thanks to Jack?" Yusei asked.

Mandy looked away from her enemy. "Yep."

Lisa smirked. "Hm. Did you forget that they randomly select duelists already?"

"Yeah, I forgot," Mandy grumbled.

Lisa then looked at Yusei. "So you're the Satellite. Well, you are pretty cute, but sadly I'm only here for Jack Atlas."

"If you want that him badly, Lisa, you can have him," Mandy said annoyed.

"Aaaaww. Is that why you're friends with this Satellite? Well, it's not surprising that you'd be friends with him. I mean, look what your mother was."

Mandy looked at Lisa in fury, and then got up and punched her. Lisa screamed and fell backwards.

"I'M GONNA TEAR YOUR BLEACHED HAIR OFF!" Mandy screamed then she lunged forward. However, Yusei got up and grabbed her waist.

"Mandy, calm down!"

Everyone looked at them in shock.

"Don't you ever talk about my mother like that!" she yelled pointing at the now scared Lisa. "You have no right to judge her that way! You have no freaking idea how hard it is without her in my life!"

"Mandy, enough!" Yusei yelled.

Mandy soon calmed down, but she still glared as tears began to form. She then got out of Yuseis hold and ran out of the room. As she ran further away from everyone, she came to a stop and leaned onto the wall. Once her tears started to fall, she slid against the wall and then burried her face in her knees as she cried.

Everyone in the room was shocked. They never thought that Mandy would act like that. Akiza looked angrily at Lisa as she got up.

"Do you think this'll swell?" Lisa asked as she held her left eye.

Akiza got up and walked to her. "Let me see."

Lisa removed her hand only to be slapped in the same eye, causing her to whimper.

"Now it'll start to swell!" Akiza said and she left the room to find Mandy.

Yusei walked over to Lisa, also looking angry. "Mandy's right, you know." Lisa looked at him in confusion. "You had no right to judge her mother like that. You have no idea how hard it is for Mandy not to have her mother in her life. She was at a young age when her mom died, and it broke her heart. So she's been trying to stay strong for her, and never gave up trying. But it's because of people like you that always makes her sad because her mother is gone. She hardly has anyone to turn to for help. You may look at her as someone who doesn't have a place in this world, but when I look at her, I see a good person who's willing to do anything for anybody. She's one of the most selfless girls I've ever met. And her selflessness is what's gonna get her on top. But also none of us are perfect, so she's going to make a mistake sometimes, but she'll always find a way to fix those mistakes. Will it take a while? Probably, but she'll never give up. No matter what you say."

With that, he left the room to find Mandy, Leo following suit. Everyone glared at Lisa, who was already beginning to cry herself. Not out of sadness, but out of anger. Why did everyone pay so much attention to Mandy and not her! Simple... Mandy was a selfless, strong, kind, and gentle young girl. How can people go for someone like that? That was a question that always left Lisa confused. She sat down and tried wiping her tears away angrily.

Akiza had searched for Mandy for a while, but she finally found her crying in the hall. She walked to her and knelt down to her level. Once she put her hand on her shoulder, Mandy looked at Akiza with her tears still pouring out, and she was pulled into a hug. Mandy returned the hug and continued to sob.

"Shhhh... I'm here, Mandy," Akiza whispered.

Yusei and Leo soon found them both, and Leo ran over to them, Yusei following suit. Leo looked at Mandy in worry as she continued to sob in Akizas arms. This saddened Yusei. He had no idea that he would see Mandy this way, nor did he count on seeing her angered actions toward Lisa.

Mandy pulled away from Akiza as she wiped away her tears. Leo then began to hug her.

"Don't cry, Mandy," Leo sai sadly.

Mandy smiled and pulled away from him. "I'm fine, Leo."

Mandy got up, only for her arms to be held by Yusei as she began wiping away her tears again.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Yusei asked in concern.

"I said I'm fine," she snapped. Then she realized what her tone was and frowned. "Sorry."

"Hey," he said, wiping her tears for her. "There's no need to get upset. You know what your mom was like better than anyone. You have every right to be upset, but there's no need for it now. Okay?"

Mandy smiled. "Thanks, Yusei." She then placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Hey, Mandy," Leo said, "do you mind taking me to the field?"

"I'd be more than happy to," she said smiling.

Once the two left, Yusei blushed and placed his hand on his cheek.

"You're in love with her, aren't you?" Akiza asked.

Yuseis blush deepened. "No, I'm not! What kind of ridiculous question is that!"

"Yusei, right? I know you have deep strong feelings for her, so don't try to deny it. You'v been in love with her from the first moment you met her. You should confess to her before it's too late."

"But even if I am in love with her, which I'm not, how will I know if she feels the same way?"

"Trust me, she likes you. She just doesn't know it, yet. My point is, you need to stop denying your feelings and confess. Otherwise, she'll think you don't care about her. Just think about it."

With that, Akiza left. Yusei looked down in confusion. Did he love Mandy? If he did, did she feel the same way?

"Okay, we're here," Mandy said. "Now, remember what Yusei said. Adapt to your opponent."

"I will, Mandy," Leo said. "I'm gonna make you proud."

Mandy placed a kiss on his head. "You've already made me proud." Leo hugged her then allowed her to go back.

"Before we begin, we have an announcement from our duel sponsors! If your dogs bad breath is making you sick, give him"-blah blah blah, whatever-"And now, coming straight from the Tops, a precious half-pint bundle of wonder, little Miss Luna!"

"Oh wow!" Leo said in excitement. "This is incredible! I should've brought my camera!"

"Hoping to take her down! The ballop of wallop (**A/N **with all do respect it's a wierd thing to say), the tower pf power, Greiger! Alright, children, play nice. Let's shake those hands!"

Leo and Greiger shook hands.

"That was cool the way you grabbed that mic and defended my friend. I want you to know that it's a big time honor to be dueling you today, Mr. Greiger," Leo said.

Greiger smiled. "If I may say so, Miss Luna, you have quite a strong grip for a young lady."

Leo became nervous and laughed. "That's because everyone at my school calls me a tomboy. Did I mention that I used to be a cheerleader!"

"I do not act like that!" Luna whispered angrily.

Alexa sweat-dropped. "Nice cover, kid."

"And now, it's time to start the duel! Players, activate your duel disks!"

Both duelists activated their duel disks.

"Lets duel!"

Greiger: 4000  
>Leo: 4000<p>

"The first move's mine," Greiger said. "I draw. From my hand I activate Star Blast!"

"A spell," Leo said in determination. "You're not starting with a monster?"

"I first have to lower my monsters level by Star Blast and sacrificing 500 lifepoints."

Greiger: 3500  
>Leo: 4000<p>

"Why would you do all of that?"

"See my Summon Reactor SK is a level 5, so by taking its power down a notch I can summon it directly in the field in attack mode!"

"Yikes! It's got 2000 attack points!"

"That's right. I believe you have to sacrifice a little in order to gain alot. I end my turn with a face down card."

Mandy arrived in the room just in time before Leo made a move.

_'A level 5 monster, huh?'_ she thought. _'That could be a problem for Leo, but I know he'll figure a way out of that one. I believe in him.'_

She went over to Yusei and sat down with him.

"Greigers off to a strong start! Lets see how little Miss Luna responds!"

"Here I go. I draw! You're not the only off to a strong start! I summon Morhptronic Cellfan(ATK 100) in attack mode! Pretty cool, don't ya think? My Morphtronic deck rules and I'm about to show you why!"

"Before you can make anymore moves, I get to activate Reactor SK's special ability."

"Huh?"

"Because you summoned a monster to the field, Reactor SK gets to hit you with 800 points of damage!"

Reactor SK then blew a few tornadoes at Leo, making him lose 800 lifepoints.

Greiger: 3500  
>Leo: 3200<p>

"Incredible! Greiger can attack Miss Luna anytime she summons a monster!"

"Not bad, Mister," Leo said, "but it's gonna take more than that to weaken my Morphtronic deck!"

_'That's right,'_ Greiger thought. _'Get excited. Lets find out if you really are what Goodwin thinks you are.'_

"You keep talking of these Morphtronics some more, but so far I am not impressed," Greiger said.

"Yeah, well, I'm about to impress your face!" Leo shouted.

"I can't watch," Luna said, emberassed. "I'll never be able to live this down."

Mandy smiled and shook her head. _'Oh, Leo. You are so full of yourself sometimes.'_

"Alright! Lets go Cellfan! Start dialing now! Whatever number the dial lands on, that's the number of cards I get to flip over. And if the card is a level 4 of a Morphtronic, I get to summon it out... And we've got a two! The second card is- Oh yeah! Get ready for Morphtronic Boomboxen(DEF 400) comin' at ya live! Hah!"

_When the monster card Morphtronic Boomboxen is attacked while in defense mode, that attack can be nigated once per turn._

"Now I play a face down and end my turn." _'Now, if he plays a monster card and attacks with it, boy will he ever be surprised when I play my face down. 'Cause then I'll be able to summon out this bad boy and then I'll have him right where I want him.'_

_'Good job, Leo,' _Mandy thought. _'But it's gonna take alot more than that. Remember to adapt to your opponent.'_

"It's my turn," Greiger said. "I draw, and from my hand I summon Trap Reactor Wifi(ATK 800) to the field in attack mode! Trap Reactor, attack! Take out Morphtronic Cellfan!"

Trap Reactor goes to attack Cellfan.

"Hah! Gotcha, Greiger! I activate my Morphtransition trap card! And now I can switch my Cellfan(DEF 100) into defense mode and put your attack on hold."

"Hah! By playing your trap, you walked right into mine! I summoned Trap Reactor for a reason, afterall. You see, Trap Reactor reacts to your trap card activation, and points back to you for 800 points of damage. Attack!"

Trap Reactor then attacks Leo.

Greiger: 3500  
>Leo: 2400<p>

"Oh, no!" Luna and Dexter exclaimed.

"This guy's playing a wheel beaten switch game," Tanner said. "If Leos moves backfire, 'salmost like he's toying with Leo to get him worked up emotionally."

_'Don't let him get to you, Leo,' _Yusei thought.

_'Come on, Leo,' _Mandy thought, biting her thumb. _'Adapt to your opponent. He's just trying to get you worked up. Try to calm down.'_

"That was a cheap shot," Leo spat.

_'That's right,'_ Greiger thought. _'Get fired up. Goodwin says you might be a Signer, so bring it on! Defeat me with the power of the Crimson Dragon!'_

Mandy felt her eyes burning and she clutched them.

"You okay?" Yusei asked in concern.

Mandy smiled. "I'm fine." _'Crimson Dragon, what's going on?'_

_This tournament is a set up, child. Goodwin is trying to find the Signers._

Mandy inwardly gasped. _'Should I warn them?'_

_Jack Atlas is involved in finding them as well. Goodwin is manipulating him. Do not warn the others, yet. Just play along with the game, and you will be safe as long as I am with you._

_'Okay.'_

"I'm not done with you yet, little girl," Greiger said. "I've got more fight for you!"

"Bring it!" Leo said.

"Summon Reactor SK, unplug that Boomboxen permanently!"

Summon Reactor attacks Boomboxen, but it is not destroyed.

"Looks like as if Summon Reactor SK has been grounded by Boomboxen!"

"Haha! When my Boomboxen's in defense mode, it's able to tune out one attack every turn!"

"But that only allows me to use Damage Summon. See, after an unsuccessful attack on your monster, Damage Summon allows me to sacrifice 800 lifepoints so I could get to summon a new monster."

Greiger: 2700  
>Leo: 2400<p>

"So you're sacrificing your own lifepoints again?"

"I am, and next I summon Spell Reactor RE(ATK 1200) to the field!"

_When your opponent activates its spell card, Spell Reactor RE destroys that card and deals 800 points once per turn._

"You might not like the sound of this, but, Spell Reactor RE, beat down that Boomboxen!"

Spell Reactor RE then attacks Boomboxen, which is now destroyed.

"I place one card face down and end my turn."

_'Finally, he's done,' _Leo thought. _'At least I was able to keep Cellfan around. 'Cause as long as it's in play, I can use it to summon Gadget Holler next. Once I do that, it'll be game over for Greiger.'_

_'He's still focusing on combos he likes,' _Yusei thought. _'He's not adapting.'_

_'Again with the combos,' _Mandy thought sadly. _'I was hoping he'd have learned to adapt by now. Oh, well. Can't do anything about it now.'_

"You don't seem very rattled," Greiger said. "Don't you realize that I've backed you into a corner!"

"Huh?"

"I've got all three of my Reactors on my field. You've already brought direct damage on yourself by summoning monsters and triggering trap cards. So what power do you think this next Reactor monster possesses? Seems obvious to me."

_'Of course,' _Leo thought. _'If I use a spell, I'll take direct damage from Spell Reactor RE, and because of the other two, if I summon a monster or activate a trap, I'll get nailed, too. Not good.'_

"That's right. Every duelist has to be able to summon monsters and activate traps and spells, but if you do any of that you'll activate direct damage onto yourself. I can spend the rest of the day doing nothing but watching you chip away at your own lifepoints everytime you try to do something."

Leo looked as if he was going to cry.

"Don't get scared," Yusei said.

_'Crimson Dragon, can I find a way to contact Leo telepathically?' _Mandy asked the dragon. _'Leo needs me.'_

_If you must, Mandy, but be careful. He must not know of your powers._

_'Thank you.' _Mandy then consentrated all of her energy into contacting Leo.

_'Leo.' _Leo became confused as he thought he heard Mandy's voice in his head.

_'Mandy, is that you?'_

_'Don't get scared, Leo. You have to adapt to him.'_

_'But how? I don't know how to adapt.'_

_'Just trust me on this.'_

_'But everytime I make a move, I'm gonna lose 800 lifepoints. I don't know what to do. I'm stuck!'_

_'Leo, trust me. Let me help you. Have I ever given up on you or Luna?'_

_'No.'_

_'That's right. Why?'_

_'...'_

_'Because I **love you!**'_

Leo then became determined. _'I love you, too, Mandy!'_

_'That's the spirit, Leo. Now show him what you're made of!'_

"You're going down!" Leo yelled.

_'Finally!' _Greiger thought. _'She's getting fired up! Get angry, kid. Show me that mark!'_

"I've never tried this before, but here goes. This next round deteremines everything. This is my move! Now I draw and activate Cellfans special ability. Dial now!"

_When Morphtronic Cellfan is in defense mode, it randomly dials a number and allows to look and see the number of cards from the top of your deck as the number selected._

Cellfan then began to dial.

"What's it gonna be?... It's a three! And I can look at three cards."

_'Sweet. I've got more Morhptronics on the way. I think I can win this!'_

"I switch Cellfan into attack mode! Start dialing _now!_"

_'I've gott be able to bust out Morphtronic Datatron. Come on! One. One!'_

As Leo wished, the numbered dialed was one.

"Alright! There we go! I summon Morphtronic Datatron(ATK 1200) in a attack mode!"

Everyone began cheering loudly.

Mandy's eyes seemed to be on fire at the moment, and she whimpered as she shut her eyes tight.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Yusei asked in concern.

"I don't know," Mandy said. "My eyes are burning like crazy."

"You're lifepoints don't stand a chance against me, little girl. 'Cause no matter what card you play, you're taking direct damage!"

"These Reactors of Greiger have got Luna pinned to the wall!"

Greiger: 2700  
>Leo: 1600<p>

"I can't watch and yet I can't look away!"

"This is it," Leo said in determination. "By, um, releasing a monster on my field, I can activate Datatrons special power, which'll bring you 600 points of direct damage. So I release Cellfan."

Datatron then attacks Greiger.

Greiger: 2100  
>Leo: 1600<p>

"Alright. So far, so good. And now I release Datatron in to advance summon Gadget Holler!"

You know what's wierd? Gadget Holler is a truck...

"Tadaa! Now, unless I'm mistaken, I won't get any damage because Summon Reactor only adavances once a turn, right?"

_'That a boy, Leo,' _Mandy thought. _'Now, try not to get crazy and break loose.'_

"Time to break loose!"

_'Too late...'_

"From my hand, I summon Morphtronic Magnid! Now whenever I send my Morphtronics from my hand to the graveyard, Gadget Holler gains 800 attack points."

_'That a girl,' _Greiger thought. _'Come at me with everything you've got!'_

"Next I activate the factory of 100 machines spell, and with the power of this card I'm able to remove every Morphtronic in my graveyard from play."

"What's this all about? It appears as if all four of Lunas Morphtronics are hitching a ride with Gadget Holler!"

"For every machine type monster hatching a ride with it, Gadget Holler gains 200 attack points. So now, it's a womping 2900!"

Everyone began cheering.

"The activation of that spell card brings you one step closer to certain defeat," Greiger said. "Spell Reactor, attack!"

Spell Reactor RE attacks Leo, leaving him 800 lifepoints left.

"And that leaves you with 800 lifepoints, little girl! One more move and you're finished!"

"No! Not if I attack. You don't have a Battle Reactor. Gadget Holler, take out his Trap Reactor Wifi!"

Gadget Holler attacked and destroyed Trap Reactor Wifi.

_'Leo...,' _Mandy thought weakly. _'He's not gonna win this...'_

Yusei kept a close eye on both the duel and Mandy.

_'What's wrong with her?' _Yusei thought. _'Is she alright like she says she is?'_

"Did it work?' Leo asks himself.

Behind the smoke, Greiger looked unharmed and he laughed.

"You may be small, but you have a warriors spirit," he said. "As a warrior myself, I salute your strength!"

"Uh, thanks, I guess," Leo replied. "But how come you're not like damaged?"

"Because of the Delta Reactor trap card."

"What does that do?"

"By sending Summon Reactor, Trap Reactor, and Spell Reactor to the graveyard, I can nigate your attack and activate Delta Reactor and use Flying Fortress Skyfyre to summon a rain of doom!"

"It looks like Greiger has activated the fata trap card. This duel might be over! Could Luna be our first loser?"

Leo became shocked at the sight of the monster, making Mandy frown.

"I activate Flying Fortress Skyfyres special ability. And with this, I can send a card to the graveyard in order to obliterate one card on your field. Victory is mine!"

Skyfyre had dropped some bombs and destroyed Gadget Holler.

"Gadget Holler!" Leo shouted.

"And now you're wide open for a direct attack!"

Skyfyre then dropped a bomb on Leo and he lost all of his lifepoints.

"It's over! Greiger will be advancing to the second round, and Luna will be getting a gift basket."

"I can't believe I lost," Leo said. "Man, this stinks."

Mandy sighed. She knew he wouldn't see this coming, and she told him that Greiger was tough, but knowing Leo he wouldn't pay any attention to her warnings. At least he tried, that's all that really matters to her.

"You feeling better?" Yusei asked, rubbing her shoulders.

Mandy smiled at him. "Yes. Much better."

Greiger was walking down the halls and soon met up with Lazar.

"Bravo, Mr. Greiger," Lazar said. "That was quite an explosive duel." He chuckled as if it was a joke.

"Your intels bad," Greiger replied. "You said you were looking for a girl, but that kid was obviously a boy."

"It seems we were the victims of a little identity prank." Lazar showed Greiger some papers of Leo and Luna.

"Twins...?"

"Twins..."


	15. Battle With the Black Rose

**Here's the next chapter... I don't have much to say, so**

**Disclaimer: I don't own shit**

**Read and review. Or don't. I don't care-.-**

* * *

><p>"Hey, try to cheer up, Leo," Luna said. "It's not like everyone saw you lose."<p>

"Yeah, she's right," Dexter agreed. "Fifteen million tops."

Alexa smacked his head. "Way to have a good choice of words to cheer him up, Dexter."

"Thanks," Leo said bitterly.

"It's not a loss if you learn something," Yusei said, standing in the hallway with Mandy. "Now you know more than you did before, right, Leo?"

"Yeah, more about losing," Leo said.

"Hey, come on," Mandy said, walking to him. "It's not your fault. Greiger was tough. That's the kind of duelist you're gonna meet someday."

"Right," Leo replied, looking down. "Sorry I let you down, Mandy."

Mandy kneeled down to his level and made him look at her. "You didn't let me down. In fact, I'm even more proud of you. Let me tell you why. When Greiger had you backed into a corner, were you scared?"

Leo became confused at this. "Yeah."

"Yeah, but what did you do?"

Leo had no way of answering that, because he couldn't figure it out.

"You picked yourself up and adapted to your opponent. You figured out a way to get out of a bad situation. Did it not end the way you would've liked? Pretty much. But you used your strength to pick yourself up and did the best you could. So it doesn't matter to me that you lost. You did your best, and that's all I wanted you to do."

Leo smiled and hugged her. "Thanks, Mandy. You're the best."

Mandy returned the hug with a smile. "It's what I'm here for, Leo."

"Excuse me!" Akiza said, rudely walking by them. She didn't notice Mandy kneeling there, so she wasn't offended.

"So what's her problem?" Alexa asked.

Mandy got up. "I'll catch up with you guys later." She ran to Akiza. "Hey, Akiza, wait up!"

Akiza turned around and smiled as Mandy caught up with her and they walked together.

"Do those two know eachother?" Cayenne asked.

"Probably," Alexa said.

Yusei looked at the two as they chatted. He couldn't help but wonder if Mandy really did know Akiza. She did, he just didn't know how yet.

"So you're up against the guy in the shining armor, huh?" Mandy asked.

"So it seems," Akiza replied. "Why do you think he wears that ridiculous costume?"

"I think I heard a few people saying he couldn't duel without it or something. It's funny because Tanner wore that same costume last year on Halloween."

Both girls laughed at this.

"Hey, sorry about what happened a while ago. I never meant for you to see my ugly side."

Akiza frowned at this. "There's no need to apologize. In fact, Lisa's the one who should be sorry. She should never have talked about your mother like that."

Mandy sighed. "Man, I hate Jack _so much_ right now. If it hadn't been for him, I'd be home free from Lisa."

"And you would be left alone from him, too."

"Exactly. But noooo, he just has to go around and bug me!"

"If you ask me, he doesn't deserve you. You're too kind and gentle for a man like him. You deserve someone better, like that guy... Yusei was it?"

Mandy looked at Akiza, confused. "What about Yusei?"

"He's very caring towards you. I can see in his eyes that he cares much more deeply for you than he realizes. And I can tell from your eyes that you feel the same."

Mandy's cheeks turned pink. "W-wha-what are you trying to say!"

Akiza gave her a serious look. "He likes you, Mandy, and I can tell that you like him, too."

Mandy felt more flushed than ever. She looked away from Akiza. "How do you know if I do? I mean, yeah, I think I like him, but... I'm so confused right now."

Akiza put a hand on her shoulder. "It'll come clear to you in time, Mandy. Just try not to think about it right now. You might get a headache from it."

Then they came to a stop.

"Well, I guess I'll see you in the arena from the room?" Mandy asked.

"Yeah," Akiza said.

Mandy hugged her. "Good luck, Akiza. I'm rooting for you."

Akiza had returned the hug with a smile. "Thanks."

Mandy then pulled away and left. However, she felt Black Rose Dragons vines around her shoulders as she kept walking. She looked at them with a smile.

_'Thank you for your concern, Black Rose Dragon,' _she said to it. _'But I'll be fine. I'll have Stardust Dragon with me.'_

She heard Black Rose growl at her affectionately, then felt the vines releasing her.

"For sooth," she heard voice say behind her, making her flinch. "Do mine eyes decieve me, or am I eth in the presence of the fair princess Mandy Kuso?"

Mandy turned around to face Sir Ransbourg, who kneeled before her.

"Um, hi?" she said awkwardly.

"Your majesty," he began, "'tis an honor to be in the presence of the late queens daughter. Might I have thy permission to kiss thy hand?"

Ransbourg took her hand and kissed it. Mandy sweatdropped at this. What the hell?

"O-kay," Mandy said. "This is awkward."

"I apologize if I hath made thee uncomfortable, my lady. Rumours of your beauty hath been the truth, yet I see how it highly does thee justice."

"Um... thank you?"

"'Tis amazing that thou hath survived the wrath of the Black Rose. Thy escape must have eth been successful, my lady?"

Mandy frowned. "I said she let me go. That whole kidnapping thing was a misunderstanding."

"My lady, I see that this hath troubled thee. But fear not, for I, Sir Ransbourg, shall protect thee from all evil that lurks throughout this land."

Mandy caught sight of Yusei and the others. "Um,..."

"To think an evil witch hath taken thee prisoner and would've made thee her slave, but now here thou are, and here to fight eth for thy mothers crown. A crown which thou souly deserve."

"Okay, thanks, but I gotta go now." She took her hand back and wiped it off as she said this. "Nice meeting you, Sir Ransbourg."

The guy in the metal suit bowed. "My lady..."

Mandy quickly walked back over to the others as she mouthed. "Wow..."

Everyone had 'what the hell' looks once Mandy had gotten to them.

"What was that all about?" Alexa asked, looking at Ransbourg.

"I don't know and I don't wanna know," Mandy said dismissively.

"Welcome back. Our next duel is about to begin. And now, entering the arena a knight in shining armor! It's the one, the only, Gilder Ransbourg!"

Ransbourg drew out his sword and shouted. "Good people of New Domino, thou shall know ist my blade and my deck from the attacks thee shall witness!"

"While we wait for a shakespearian scholar to translate all that, lets get ready for his opponent!"

"This guy can't be serious," Yanagi said.

"Don't get me started on that big faker, grandpa," Tanner said. "I wore that same costume last Halloween."

"Now entering the arena, his opponent with a record of- Well, it appears that we have no record for her, but we can say she's a... Um... Are you saying we have no information for her? Um, well, Domino City, lets hear it for Miss Akiza Izinski!"

"I have the strangest feeling like we've seen her before," Leo said.

"You mean like in the hallway?" Dexter asked.

"No, before that! Get with it, Dexter!"

"You know, I thought nerds would be smart," Alexa commented, "but it turns out that that's not the case with Dexter."

"Come on, Alexa," Cayenne said. "Don't be mean."

"Just saying."

Luna became alarmed as she started to feel Akizas deck.

"What is it, Luna?" Leo asked.

"There's something with her deck," she answered. "It's like I can feel it in pain."

Mandy looked at Akiza as she could feel her deck.

_'So much pain,'_ she thought bitterly. _'Then again, you would expect that from someone who's felt alone all her life.'_

_'Akiza is it?' _Yusei thought as he watched. He looked at Mandy. _'I wonder how Mandy knows her.'_

_'So, this be thy opponent I am to battle,' _Sir Ransbourg thought.

"You'll find no mercy here, sorceress," he said to Akiza. "But find defeat!"

"Lets duel!"

Ransbourg: 4000  
>Akiza: 4000<p>

"Ready, fair maiden? Behold! I summon eth a level 3 Masked Knight(ATK 1500)! Thee shall suffer this. Its ability most special."

Masked Knight attacked Akiza.

"Thou lose eth 400 lifepoints. Forth with, I shall call upon mine spell, Level Up! Thee hath served nobly, but begone to the graves, so thy brother in arms may be summoned. Masked Knight(ATK 2300) level the fifth! And thus, like thy comrade, his abilities most special. A sharp sting as the forces aline against thee. Lifepoints most fowl, begone! I shall yield with a facedown. Thy turn."

"Can our mystery duelist bring herself up? Does she have a chance? Will I understand anything Sir Ransbourg is saying in this duel?"

_'I've got a feeling that he won't,' _Mandy thought.

"Fear not, fair maiden. Defeat is soon."

Akiza didn't say anything.

"A silent tongue, or hath a viper take hold of thee?"

"No," Akiza said. "I'm getting tired of listening to your bad accent." As she said this, she summoned out Wall of Ivy(DEF 100) in defense mode.

"She just played Wall of Ivy," Tanner informed.

"It's a good card if you're looking for some defense," Dexter added.

Ransbourg smirked.

"And then I'll activate a spell card, Seed of Deception. With this I get to summon another level 2 plant monster from my hand. For in some words that only _you_ can understand, thou are about to be royaly played. Now that Copy Plant's(DEF 000) on my field, it gets up to the level of another monster on your field, and I can't think of anyone more perfect than your level 5 knight."

Copy Plant then began to turn into a level 5 Masked Knight.

"This 'fair maiden' would like to thank you for all your help."

"I'm not sure where she's going with this, Tanner," Yanagi said.

"She's gonna synchro summon!" Leo and Dexter said.

"Duh," Alexa and Cayenne said.

"I fear you not, my lady," Ransbourg said.

"You should, because I'm tuning Copy Plant with my Wall of Ivy," Akiza said. "It's time you stopped playing with plastic swords and dice, Ransbourg. Now I summon to the field Black Rose Dragon(ATK 2400)!"

As Black Rose Dragon appeared, Yusei began to feel pain in his right arm and Mandy's eyes began to burn again.

"What's with all the wind?" Tanner asked as a powerful wind began to blow around the dome.

"'Tis true," Ransbourg shouted, "thou be ist the Black Rose! Stay back!"

"Black Rose?"

"It is. Look! Only Black Rose can summon Black Rose Dragon!"

Yuseis arm had hurt him very much, but it didn't distract him from looking at Mandy and how much worse her pain was. Her eyes felt like they were on fire. He then remembered the day the Black Rose saw Mandy's eyes, which had glowed red, and how she kidnapped her.

"Are you alright?" Yusei asked, putting his pained arm around the dark haired girl.

Mandy said nothing as she was too much in pain from the burning in her eyes.

He then looked back at the duel.

"I've seen that dragon before," he said.

"Then congradulations," Greiger said coming toward the two. "Most who come face to face with it never duel again. It is said that the Black Rose Dragons wrath can cause true destruction."

Mandy opened her eyes halfway. "The way you talk about it... You make it sound like it's evil."

Greiger looked at the pained girl. "What would you know about it?"

"Black Rose Dragons just a misunderstood creature. I would've hoped that a warrior like you would understand that."

Greiger glared at her words, but said nothing. Mandy whimpered at the burning in her eyes, making Yusei rub her arm in comfort.

"Fear not," Ransbourg said. "Thy knight shall do battle with the great beast, and thy dark maiden shall be made to pay for this!"

_'Unless mine eyes decieve me,'_ Ransbourg thought smirking, _'she knows not of my facedown Sacramental Armor waiting to strike.'_

"Your eyes do vex."

"I'll take that as a complement," Akiza replied. "But in case it wasn't, I should let you know something. Black Rose Dragon takes out all of your cards, Ransbourg!"

"Curses!"

"Go Black Rose Gail!"

Then a strong wind had been made by Black Rose Dragon.

"I don't believe it! An incredible tornado has stuck inside the arena!"

Everything was destoyed once that was said.

"So thou can control the wind," Ransbourg said as if in a whisper.

"Among other things," Akiza replied. "Now watch as I play my field spell, Black Garden."

Then vines began to pop out and turn into a greenhouse full of roses.

"What evil is this!" Ransbourg said.

"It's your move, Ransbourg."

"The Black Rose does have magic powers," Cayenne said in amazement.

"Mine turn!" Ransbourg smirked as he got the card he needed. "I shall activate eth mine spell, the Warrior Return eth Alive, and have mine monster return from the realm of the grave. Masked Knight level the third, rejoin thy battle. You shall fight again!" Vines began to wrap around the knight, making Sir Ransbourg gasped. "What be this?"

"This be the power of my Black Garden," Akiza answered. "As long as we're inside this greenhouse, your monsters attack points are cut in half and a rose token blossoms on my field. I'm sure a knight like you can handle a few thorns. Watch her beauty bloom and be sure to take in the sweet smell of my success."

"With Masked Knights attack points sliced in half, Sir Ransbourg can't get close to the Black Rose."

"Tell me," Ransbourg said, "is this the very prison thou hath held eth the fair princess Mandy Kuso prisoner in whenst thou abducted her?"

Akiza glared at him. "I did not hold her prisoner!"

"Ah, yes. The princess did mention her abduction 'twas a misunderstanding. Alas, her ladyship is too young to see eth the difference."

"Princess?" Yusei asked looking at Mandy oddly.

"What?" she replied. "You know how knights are when it comes to 'fair maidens'."

"If you must know, I was willing to let 'her ladyship' go," Akiza said angrily.

_'Mine points attack eth matter not,' _Ransbourg thought. _'Her monster will still fall to mine knights ability most special.'_

"Vengeance is mine," Ransbourg said as Masked Knight attacked Akiza.

Sir Ransbourg: 4000  
>Akiza: 2200<p>

"You yield?" he asked, smirking.

"Not with my Dobbleganger trap card in play!"

_With the trap card, Dobbleganger, when you take damage from your opponents monster, your opponent takes the same amount of damage._

"Take that, you big tincan!"

Sir Ransbourg:3600  
>Akiza: 2200<p>

"Oh, no! It looks like Sir Ransbourg took his first hit, and it is a major one!"

And it's true. Sir Ransbourg had a cut on his face.

"His face!" Leo exclaimed.

"She gave him a scar," Dexter said.

"I guess her powers are real," Tanner said.

"Lets go home," Yanagi suggested out of fear. "If she can do that to him, what will she do to us?"

"'Tis nothing but a mere scratch," Ransbourg said wiping it off. "Her powers scare not this brave warrior. But here witch shall pay!"

"Be careful who you call a witch," Akiza said.

"A threat! You shall pay dearly for that! I cast eth two cards facedown. Thy turn."

"I know, and for starters I'll play my spell Mark of the Rose, which allows me to select one of the monsters on your field and take control of it. Masked Knight, what do you think about joining me?"

The rose mark was placed on the knight and he went to her side. She chuckled as he took her hand.

Mandy giggled a little bit. "I guess duel monster knights are like normal knights when it comes to fair maidens, too."

Yusei looked at her oddly. "What do you mean by that?"

Mandy looked at him with a small smile. "When I ran into Ransbourg, he took my hand and kissed it. I felt so awkward." She then began to laugh.

Yusei became stunned at this and a little angry. Why was he angry? She said knights are like that with maidens, so why was he mad about this? Jealousy? He couldn't possibly be feeling that... could he?

"It looks as though your monster has sworn his allegiance to _me._ I think it's time to let Ransbourg feel the sting of your betrayal."

Masked Knight turned his attention to Ransbourg, and then grabbed its sword and attack. Like most knights, Ransbourg blocked the attack, but that didn't mean his lifepoints weren't lost.

Sir Ransbourg: 2350  
>Akiza: 2200<p>

"Thou hast bewitched the heart of my noble knight! Thou shall pay for this! And I assume that this be the same spell thou hath cast on the fair princess."

Akiza became angry. "I did no such thing!"

Mandy became shocked. Akiza didn't put a spell on her. She'd never do that!

"I guess it makes sense the way you defended that dragon," Greiger said, looking at her. "We can only assume that she put a spell on you."

Mandy glared. "No, she did not!"

"Listen to yourself. You can tell that it's the spell talking right now. Guess she really is a witch."

Mandy got up and slapped Greiger. Yusei was shocked, but at least it wasn't bad compared to what she did to Lisa.

"Don't ever call her that," she growled. "You don't know anything about her."

Mandy sat back down next to Yusei, but didn't say anything to him.

"Thou shall pay for bewitching the princess!" Rnasbourg yelled.

"Not before this," Akiza said "I play the spell Vengeful Servant on my new Masked Knight. So now, when he goes back to your control after my turn, you'll lose even more lifepoints. One for each of his attack points."

"You dare not!"

"Oh, no. I _do _dare! Looks like it's the end of my turn. Masked Knight, why don't you go on home and unleash the true power of my Vengeful Servant. Now strike down his lifepoints!"

As she said this, Masked Knight went back to Ransbourg, only for him lose more of his lifepoints.

Sir Ransbourg: 1350  
>Akiza: 2200<p>

"This rose has thorns! In just one round, she just pulled the roots of Ransbourgs leaves like it's a weed infestation!"

"Thy girl shall suffer my wrath! With this, mine trap card, Thy Level Change! Thy turn hath not finished as of yet, Black Rose! My traiterous Masked Knight level the third is scarificed to the yard of graves so that a far nobler warrior may take thy place. My Masked Knight level the fifth, return to thy battle my brave warrior!"

"Sir Ransbourg's crack the Black Roses combo. This anyones duel now!"

"It appears you've forgot about Black Garden," Akiza said. "For every monster you bring to the field, its attack points are cut in half. Not only that, but I'll be getting another rose token. Now I end my turn."

"Sorceress, you dare enchant thine monsters with thine spells? Thy be no eden, but shall fall the same! Now, my knight, you have been promoted for thy service against thy most wicked opponent!"

"He's right! Thank to Masked Knights special ability, he powers from level 5 all the to level 7!"

"Now, join mine side!"

Masked Knight began to grow into level 7 and now had 2900 attack points.

"Black Garden," Akiza said, "do your thing."

The level 7 knights attack were noe cut in half thanks to Black Garden.

"And now, another rose token."

"Impressive," Greiger said. "Those rose tokens can't be destroyed in battle. She's got an impenetrable wall. The question is, can she move out? Not even that garden can stop Ransbourg. It's only a matter of time before that Black Rose gets clipped."

"You're wrong," Mandy said, making Greiger look at her. "Believe it or not, she's going to win. Her cards are really special, and with the right strategy, she'll bring that overgrown tincan to his knees."

Greiger gave her a glare. He may respect her, but he didn't like the tone she was using toward him. Yusei looked at her and almost questioned her theory. Thankfully, he thought back on it and said nothing.

"Fowl she creature, thy canine foliage gave this arena and seduced my knights, but now thee shall before my potent. Behold, my Glory Shield! With it, my knight shall be impervious to any of thy bewitching spells."

Mandy looked stirn, which made Yusei look at her.

"What happened between you and Black Rose, Mandy?"

She looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"You keep getting angry when someone calls her a witch. What happened between the two of you?"

"She just let me go, okay. She's a good person, so don't bug me about it anymore."

"Masked Knight, unleash thy powers on thy darkest of monsters. The tokens of rose! Drive havoc and strike down that maidens lifepoints!"

"And Ransbourg brings the hammer down, or should I say sword, as Akiza takes a big hit!"

Sir Rnasbourg: 1350  
>Akiza: 1550<p>

"Black Rose is starting to tilt. A few more rounds and she'll be checking the water bath! Does anyone need a gardener?"

"And now, my Glory Shield effect destroy thy Dobbleganger! With thy cursed spell lost to thee, Masked Knight, unleash thy effect most special!"

Sir Ransbourg: 1350  
>Akiza: 50<p>

"Only 50 lifepoints left?! This duel is all but over. It's a fourth encore! It's a party with no music! It's the closing credits!"

"I end my turn."

"So," Greiger says, "do you think it's over."

"Not a chance," Mandy replied. "She's just getting warmed up."

"So if you're saying she didn't put a spell on you, then what is it between you two? Some ancient mystical bond?"

Mandy smirked. "You could say that."

"And now, any last words, fair maiden?" Ransbourg asked mockingly. "For you shall not say the last."

"Yeah, I've got some last words," Akiza said. "This duel's over!"

"Liar!"

Akiza drew her card with a "Hmph!"

_'You hath lost already, my dear,'_ Sir Ransbourg thought._ 'I can see your cards as if they be mine. You shall release your token of rose, hoping against hope that you shall summon a creature, and that shall be your undoing. But why summon? Thy Black Garden will have grown me a token of rose. You shall attack and you shall fail! For you have no idea what lies beneath my cards most facedown. Like all duelists who battle before me, you have no mind for strategy. Waiting for you is my Marter Flag. A spell most simple, true, but it shall double thy attack points of my Masked Knight. You shall taste the agony of defeat, and learn not to tread here in my arena!'_

"So, what to do? I think I'll destroy my Black Garden."

Black Garden then began to fall.

"What's this?" Ransbourg said in shock. "A trick or some sort?"

"Trick, no. Strategy, yes. See, you've got to learn beyond the beauty of my roses. By destroying my Black Garden and my rose tokens, I'm able a new monster. One that's in my graveyard."

"You would not!"

"Oh, boy!" Greiger said, making Mandy smirk.

"It can't be!" The kids and Yanagi yelled.

"Now if my mind is correct, and it always is, that Akiza has sacrificed enough attack points to summon out the Black Rose Dragon!"

"That thing is dangerous."

"Now say hello to my Black Rose Dragon!"

Black Rose Dragon appeared in a tornado of purple flames.

_Black Rose Dragon is a level 7 fire attributed synchro monster that has 2400 attack points and 1800 defense points._

"Akiza did it! But is it too late? With her Black Garden gone, Masked Knights attack points go back to their maximum, and if you know anything about fairytales, when it comes to knights vs dragons, it never ends well for the dragon."

"I don't think so," Mandy sang.

"What do you mean?" Yusei asked.

"Yeah," Greiger agreed, looking at her. "Masked Knight's got 2900 attack points and that dragon's only got 2400. There's no way she can beat Ransbourg."

"Watch and see. Unless you're too _scared._"

Greiger glared at her.

_'If she keeps up this little attitude of hers,' _Yusei thought, _'she just might end up dueling Greiger in the next round.'_

"Ye truly are a fool, my lady," Ransbourg said. "Perhaps ye should lay down thy cards and go tend to thine garden. We thought you hath not a combo at dueling."

"I sure hate to admit," Greiger said, "but it looks like this duel is over."

"Yeah, but it won't lay out like you think," Mandy said.

"Say what?"

"Due to my Black Rose Dragons special ability, if I remove a plant type monster in my graveyard from play, your Masked Knights attack points go to zero. Go, Black Binding Bloom!"

Black Rose Dragons vines wrapped around Masked Knight, making his attack points go to zero.

"But thou can not do that to me," Rnasbourg said in fear. You know, now's pretty much the time where his accent starts to give up. "It be not fair. I spent all year making this costume for this special tournament. I'm not supposed to lose."

"Well, too bad. And next time when you want to play dress up you should realize that it's not what's on the outside that makes you who you are, but what's on the inside."

"I wanna go home. Take it easy now!"

"I am taking it easy. Black Rose Dragon, attack!"

Black Rose Dragon did as commanded and attacked Ransbourg and his knight.

Mandy's eyes began burn like hell, causing her to whimper. Yusei squeezed her against him in worry. Greiger simply looked at her in concern.

Mandy soon calmed down when the burning began to fade.

"See," she said. "What'd I tell you?"

"Well, I'll admit I was wrong," Greiger said. "You must have a pretty good connection with her, Mandy. I'm impressed."

"I knew she'd win from the very start."

_'So she and her have a bond,' _Yusei thought. _'But how, and why?'_


	16. Surprise, Surprise!

**This chapter took me awhile, but I finally finished it. Hope you like it**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**Read and review. Or don't. I don't care-.-**

* * *

><p>"You were awesome out there, Akiza," Mandy said as she walked with her psychic friend.<p>

Akiza only sighed. "If only those people hadn't seen what they just saw, then maybe they wouldn't have to say those awful things."

Mandy stopped to pull her into a hug in an attempt to comfort her. "They don't know you the way I do, Akiza."

Akiza felt the sting in her eyes as tears threatened to begin to form and she returned the hug.

"But the way he said about how I kidnapped you...," Akiza whimpered.

"He's the one who doesn't know the difference," Mandy said, tightening the hug. "Don't feel bad if you hurt him, because he deserved it. During the duel, I hit Greiger because he called you a witch. That's how much I care about you, Akiza. I like you for who you are."

Akiza's tears of sadness soon became tears of joy once that was said. Finally, someone accepted her! She finally had a true friend! Mandy's the first person who has ever shown this much kindness and understanding, and to know that she accepts Akiza the way she is just made her happy.

Akiza burried her face into the dark haired girls shoulder as her tears began pouring out. Mandy smiled as she felt both Akizas tears on her shoulder and Black Rose Dragons vines wrap around them. She looked at the dragon, who gave her a soft growl. She was happy that Akiza was able to trust her with her problems and share the story of her past, because she trusted Akiza to protect her.

Mandy pulled away to wipe Akizas tears from her face. "I'll meet you back at the room. I need to sort out a few things first."

Akiza nodded with a smile and walked away.

Mandy leaned on the wall once she left, her heart clenching as she was beginning to cry herself. However, she quickly wiped her tears as a security guard passed by. Mandy raised an eyebrow as she took a closer look, then smirked as she saw who it was. She then walked the other way.

As the guard walked further, he was kicked from his feet and landed on his back. Mandy stepped out of a corner and used her foot to remove the helmet, which revealed the face of Hunter Pace.

"Sneaking into the tournament?" Mandy asked in disbelief. "Seriously? Isn't that a bit cliche, even for Hunter Pace?"

Hunter sat up and rubbed his head as he groaned. He looked up the girl with a smirk.

"Well, don't that beat all," he said. "If isn't Mandy Kuso. Never thought I'd see you face to face."

"I bet you never thought I'd figure out that it was you in the suit, huh?"

Hunter chuckled. "Truth be told, I didn't know you were that smart. Guess it's true on what they. You're alot like your mom."

Mandy returned the smirk. "Thanks. I'm guessing you're here to get your title back from Jack?"

Hunter chuckled again. "Is it that obvious?"

"Pretty much."

Mandy held out her hand to help him up, which Hunter accepted.

"Don't think you're gonna make it, Hunter," Mandy said. "If anyone's gonna kick Jacks butt, it's _me._"

Hunter smirked. "Fiesty. I like that in a woman, but sadly you're too young."

Mandy thanked that fact.

"Well, good luck," she said as she walked away.

Hunter became confused as she walked away. Seriously? Just like that? Mandy turned around then zipped her mouth as she smiled.

Mandy went back into the room and found Akiza sitting on the couch waiting for her. She smiled and sat next to her psychic friend, who smiled back.

"I'm so excited to see Yusei duel again," Mandy said. "I feel all gitty just by saying it."

"I'm more excited to see you duel, Mandy," Akiza said. "If you ask me your duel should've gone first."

"They think, since I'm the daughter of the late Chloe Kitsune, that my duels should be saved for last. You know, to make 'em more 'exciting'."

"Alright, everyone! Are you ready? It's time for the Fortune Cups first turbo duel! He's the spunky punk driving in from third to first class; he's the little Satellite who could! Dueling fans, I give you Yusei!"

Yusei came out on his runner, but these people (or should I say assholes) only booed at him.

"You go, Yusei," Leo cheered.

"Dueling him is the always mysterious shadow creeper himself, Shira!"

Shira had come out of a creepy shadow fog.

"Don't let us down, Shira! Show that punk he's not welcome here!"

"Yeah, put him in his place!"

"I don't get it," Leo said sourly. "Why are these jerks putting down Yusei? They don't even know him."

"Some people are just prejudice when it comes to Satellites, Leo," Alexa answered, glaring at the crowd. "These guys are no different."

"I wish they didn't have to be so hard on him," Akiza said sadly.

"He'll be fine," Mandy said assuringly. "Yusei'll get them to shut up once he shows them what he's made of."

"With both duelists at the starting line, there's just one thing left to do. Kids, start your runners!"

_Duel mode ingaged. Auto pilot standing by._

"This is the point of no return. Both duelists have activated their speed world field spell, and now the only spells they can use are speed spells."

_Turbo duelists, count down inciated. Ready. Set. Duel!_

Yusei: 4000  
>Shira: 4000<p>

Once they rode off, Shiras cloak flew off and everyone gasped.

Hunter laughed. "Surprise, surprise! Didn't expect to see me out here, did ya?"

"This is the mother of all surprises! That's not Shira! That's the former champion; the mad biker; the phantom of fire; it's Hunter Pace!"

"What happened to Shira?" Tanner asked in shock.

Akiza was shocked, but Mandy seemed calm about this, making the psychic look at her in confusion.

"You knew about this?"

Mandy looked at her friend with a sheepish smile. "Uh, funny you should ask that. I ran into him awhile ago."

"Are you gonna accept my challenge," Hunter asked Yusei, "or are you gonna back down in front of all these excited people?" He then laughed. "So what do you say, Yusei? You came here to duel Hunter Pace. Trust me, you didn't wanna duel Shira, that guy's a real bore."

Yusei smiled. "Lets do this!"

"Alright then!"

"Uh! I'm not sure if this is, uh, I, uh, well..." The big haired guy looked to the director.

"If you're waiting for my approval, well then," Goodwin said before he nodded.

"Goodwin has agreed with Hunters challenge! We are a go. The duel is on!"

Everyone began cheering.

"First moves mine," Hunter said. "I draw, and from my hand I summon Burnin' Skullhead(ATK 1000) in attack mode! Then I end my turn with three cards facedown."

"I'm up then," Yusei said. "And I summon Speed Warrior(ATK 900) in attack mode!"

"Looks like Yusei's not gonna waste any time getting on the offensive. Speed Warriors attacks points double on every summon, so I'm bet my pompador that we are about to see an attack."

"Speed Warrior, strike him with Hypersonic Slash!"

"Sorry," Hunter said, "but my Zero Guard trap card put the brakes on your Speed Warrior. See, by takin' away all my Burnin' Skullheads attack points, I can make it invulnerable to attacks. So you can't destroy it in battle!"

Speed Warrior gave a powerful kick at Skullhead, but it didn't do any damage. It did, however, get Skullhead against Hunter, making him lose some lifepoints.

Yusei: 4000  
>Hunter: 2200<p>

"Wow! Talk about a turn of events. He saved his monster, but Hunter's been slammed of 1800 points of damage."

"Why would he willingly take such a big hit?" Yanagi asked.

"Maybe there's some sort of reason for having that monster around," Dexter said.

"After taking that much damage at once, his speed counter should drop, right?" Leo said. "So, uh, how come they haven't gone down?"

"I give you the Doom Accelerator trap," Hunter said. "Thanks to this puppy, I'll be gainin' one speed counter for every 500 points of damage I get in battle. Startin' right now!"

Everyone began cheering.

"Aw yeah! That's your taste of a new acceleeration deck! Custom engineered by yours truely!"

"Not a bad play, Hunter," Yusei said, "but it'll take more than that to shake me. For now I place two cards facedown and end my turn."

"My turn, then. I draw! I'm kickin' thise duel up a notch with the Summon Speeder spell. Since I have four speed counters, I can use Summon Speeder to bust out a new monster. So say hello to Skullface(ATK 800). Next, by kickin' Skullface and Skullhead to the curb, I can advance summon Skullflame(ATK 2600)! Sorry, kid, but I came here to duel Jack Atlas again and regain my title, and, well, Yusei, you're blockin' my way! So you gotta fall. Skullflame, burn out his lifepoints!"

Skullflame destroyed Speed Warrior, causing Yusei to lose 1700 lifepoints.

Yusei: 2300  
>Hunter: 2200<p>

"Yusei may have kick started this duel with a powerful attack, but the former champion has unleashed a blistering combo and instantly almost evened up the score."

"Wow," Alexa said. "Hunter's on fire."

Hunter chuckled. "And I'm just gettin' warmed up. Prepare for the real heat as I activate the Speed Booster trap card!"

_Speed Booster allows you to deal damage equal to your opponents speed counters multiplied by 100._

The Speed Bootser appeared on Hunters runner and he shot out like a bullet.

Mandy bit her lip in uneasiness, but Akiza put her hand on her shoulder and calmed her down.

"Welcome to real world of turbo duelin', kid! If you can't keep up, you're gonna get left behind!" Hunter laughed at this. "I came here to burn rubber and take names, Yusei, and no one is gonna stop me from takin' the chance to regain my title. See when I was the number one turbo duelist in the world, I learned to defend my title by repeatedly deflectin' attacks, just like my monster; but I also learned that, to stay at the top, you gotta dish out attacks hard and fast. So get ready to feel the heat!"

"Talks alot, doesn't he?" Yanagi commented.

"Unfortunately, he's able to win his money where his mouth is in this case," Tanner said, "'cause he's earned a big adavntage."

Yusei had been smiling, which Leo soon noticed.

"Did Yusei just crack a smile?" Leo asked.

"I didn't see that," Yanagi said. "Is he smiling? Did you see him smile? Why would Yusei smile?" Tanner then smiled. "Why are _you_ smiling?"

"And now to turn up the heat, Satellite," Hunter said. "I iniciate Speed Boosters special attack."

Blasters came out of Speed Booster and started coming down on Yusei.

Yusei: 1900  
>Hunter: 2200<p>

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is a whole new Hunter Pace we're seeing here! He's totally reinvented himself!"

"I'm on the fast track to glory! No one can stop me! Now get ready, 'cause you'll miss me. I'm bringin' a whole new road to turbo duelin'! I'm gonna leave the world in my dust! I'm gonna-" Hunter stopped short as he saw Yusei near him.

"You're gonna what?" Yusei asked mockingly.

"How're you keepin' up with me?" Hunter asked in shock. He looked at that screen thingy(I have no clue what those things are) and saw the trap card, Slip Stream. "Slip Stream? Aw, man! You gotta be kiddin' me!"

Akiza saw that Mandy had smiled. "You knew?"

Mandy nodded.

"You must think you're slicker than slick, don't ya?" Hunter said. "You know, I heard some people sayin' you were good, Yusei, but I'm afraid you're just not good enough to keep up with me."

"Remember, Hunter," Yusei said, "even if you do beat me, you'll still have Mandy do deal with."

"Aw, yeah. Little Miss Mandy Kuso. You know, I don't see why her duel should be saved for last. They're makin' it seem like duelin' her will be a piece of cake."

"I highly doubt that!"

"What's with that tone? I'm just sayin' that they're makin' her look too easy to beat is all." Hunter then smirked. "Aw, I get it. You're a little sweet on her, ain't ya?"

Yuseis cheeks turned a blood-shot red.

"'Salright, I understand. You're in denial. I don't really blame you though, Yusei. She's a cutey. I tell ya, if she were fifteen years older, I'd ask her to dinner."

"Ew!" Mandy said. "I'd turn him down in fifteen seconds."

"That son of a-" Jack began to yell as he sprang forward from the couch. "How dare he talk about my girl like that!"

"Oh, dear, Jack," Lazar mocked. "You still view Miss Kuso as yours, even after she handcuffed you and stole Stardust Dragon?" He then laughed, but Jack only grew more irrtated.

"I activate Acceleration Zone!" Hunter shouted. "Just try to catch me now." Hunter then sped off like a missle as he rode onto the Acceleration Zone. "Yeeeaaaahhhh!"

"This is incredible! Hunters speed counter has rocketed all the way to eleven!"

"Yaaahooo! You may think you've outsmarted me by slippin' in your Slip Stream last round, but my deck is so fast that, no matter what you play or move you make, you'll always be a step behind. But that's somethin' you Satellites have come to expect, isn't it?"

"Well, I wonder if you expected me to play this, the Summon Speeder spell card!"

"Woah! Yusei's met Hunter Paces challenge with a direct counter!"

Hunter smirked.

"Now, with the power of Summon Speeder, I summon Quilbot Hedggehog(DEF 800) in defense mode and Junk Synchron(ATK 1300) in attack mode! And thanks to my Junk Synchrons special ability, I can summon another monster from my graveyard. So I'm bringing back Speed Warrior! And now I tune my Junk Synchron and my Speed warrior in order to synchro summon Junk Warrior(ATK 2300)! Lets rev it up!"

"Very impressive," Akiza commented.

"He's just getting warmed up," Mandy said with a smile.

"But before I attack, since the Quilbolt Hedgehog on my field is a level 2, Junk Warrior can absorb its attack points. It's go time!"

"Hah! Forget my Speed Booster trap already!?"

Junk Warrior and Skullflame exchange punches, but they were both blocked by the others fist.

Mandy frowned. "I was afraid of that."

Akiza looked at her friend in wonder.

"Speed Booster can block the same number of attacks as the difference of their speed counters. So, since Yusei's got six speed counters and Hunter's got eleven, that means he can deflect five of Yuseis attacks."

"I've gotta find a way to push through this," Yusei said. "I place one card facedown and end my turn."

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Hunter said. "I draw."

"Hunter is totally maxed out. He doesn't get any faster than twelve speed counters, people!"

"After Jack Atlas took my title and I coudn't snatch it back, I went into hidin' to undergo some serious retraining. Then I realized that if I was gonna again rule the turbo duels, I had to put out speed first. You're as good as done if you can't learn to harness the awesome power of true speed. It's not what you do, it's how fast you do it, which I will now demenstrate by activating the Acceleration Draw speed spell. This lets me draw two more cards from my deck." Hunter chuckled. "Oh, yeah! And in my hand, the End of Storm spell card!"

"What?!" Jack exclaimed.

"He has the spell card, End of Storm!?" Yusei shouted.

Mandy gasped.

"Should've stayed in doors today, Yusei," Hunter said. "Your local forecast calls for some hardcore schoolin' and a whole lota let down, with a small chance of aniliation. It's too late for ya now. I activate End of Storm! From what I understand, you and Jack Atlas have some history, so I'm sure you know what this means. The storm destroys every monster and we both take 300 points of damage for every monster we have on the field."

Yusei: 1300  
>Hunter: 1900<p>

"Wow! Hunter Pace has manage to nail Yusei for 600 points of damage, but in doing so, he had to destroy his own monster. He can't attack now. What's he gonna do?"

"Hah! Now that the storm has blown over, I can remove one Skullflame in my graveyard from play. By doin' so, I can summon the incredible Speed King Skullflame in attack mode. 3000 points and all!"

"Oh, no!" Yusei shouted.

"3000 attack points!?" Tanner exclaimed.

"Not only did Hunter destroy every monster in the field and deal damage to Yusei, but he also managed to summon an incredibly powerful new monster. What a stupendous string of moves! This could be the end of the duel right heer! Hunter Pace may be moving on in the tournament, and Jack Atlas may be getting a little scared right about now!"

"Aw, man," Alexa said. "This is so not good."

Mandy had her hands close to her mouth in fear and worry for Yusei.

_'Come on, Yusei,' _she thought desperately. _'You can do this.'_

"This duel is over, Yusei," Hunter said. "'Cause Speed King Skullflame is gonna attack you directly!"

"Well, my Scrapiron Scarecrow should extinguish its attack!"

"Yusei's shielded himself from Hunters Skullflame!"

"Lets see what you do when I activate Speed Booster."

Speed Boosters rockets shot out and aimed for Yusei.

Yusei: 800  
>Hunter: 1900<p>

Mandy bit her lip a little harder than she expected to, which caused her to bleed. Akiza noticed this and took Mandy's hands in hers in attempt to calm her down.

"And now I activate Speed King Skullflames special ability. So for every Burnin' Skullhead in my graveyard, you get 400 points of damage!"

Skullhead attacked Yusei, costing him 400 lifepoints.

Yusei: 400  
>Hunter: 1900<p>

"Yusei's barely holding with uneasily losing his 400 lifpoints. Can he survive?"

Mandy couldn't help but panic inside.

"It's my turn," Yusei said. "First I'm gonna slow this duel down a little bit with Shift Down!"

"In a questionable move, Yusei has intentionally decreased his speed counters. What could he be thinking?"

"Why would he do something like that?" Akiza asked.

Mandy soon smiled, not noticing the blood trickling down from her bitten lip.

"I think I know what he's thinking."

"Now that my speed counters decreased, I can draw two more cards. And next, I summon Nitro Synchron(ATK 300)! Now that I've got a tutor monster on my field, I can bring Quilbolt Hedgehog back from my graveyard. With that done, I'm activating the Give and Take trap card!"

_The Give and Take trap card summons a monster from your graveyard to your opponents field. The level of that monster is added to level of the monster on your field._

"So now I'm gonna give your defense a little boost and take advantage of the power that it possesses."

"You're doin' what?" Hunter asked as Junk Synchron appeared on his field.

"You may have been at the top of the ranks back in the day, Hunter, but only because you never faced beasts with abilities like these."

Quilbolts level increased to level 5, thanks to the Give and Take trap card.

"So with Quilbolt Hedgehog bumped up to level 5, and Nitro Synchron already a level two, then that means he ca-" Leo had interupted Dexter before he could finish.

"Can synchro summon a level 7 monster!"

"Now I tune in Nitro Synchron with my Quilbolt Hedgehog to synchro summon Nitro Warrior(ATK 2800)! Lets rev it up one more time!"

Mandy almost wanted to leap for joy, but she had to compose herself around Akiza.

"Pretty cool monster," Hunter said, "but I can deflect your attack with Speed Booster. There was no point in summonin' that thing."

"That idiot," Mandy said, smirking. "He doesn't realize that in synchro summoning Nitro Warrior, Yusei's allowed to draw another card from his deck."

"Check it out, Yusei. I'm so much faster, that I'm about to lap you!" Hunter laughed at that.

_'I can do this,'_ Yusei thought as he put his hand on his deck.

He then drew the card, and once he saw the card he needed, he smiled.

"Just what I needed. I'm activating the speed spell Gap Storm!"

A torndao began to form and surrounded Yusei and Hunter.

"What is this?" Hunter asked in shock.

"I can only activate Gap Storm when the difference in our speed counters is ten or more. That's why I slowed down. Now I can destroy every trap and spell card on the field."

"Oh, no! So that means-"

"Yep. Say goodbye to your Speed Booster."

Speed Booster was destroyed as expected.

"Wow. Talk about a high risk actually paying off," Cayenne commented.

"He could actually win a speed duel by slowing down," Alexa stated.

"This ain't over!" Hunter said.

"It will be, once my Nitro Warriors special ability kicks in," Yusei said. "Because I activated a spell card on my turn, Nitro Warrior gets hooked up with 1000 attack points!"

Hunter screamed at this.

"Nitro Warrior, attack with Dynamite Crunch!"

Nitro Warrior was able to destroy Speed King Skullflame when it tried to defend itself, costing Hunter 800 lifepoints.

"I'm still ahead!" Hunter stated desperately.

"Not for long," Yusei said. "You see, Hunter, even though you had most of the lead in the duel, your lifepoints are about to run out of gas; and it's all because of my Nitro Warriors special abililty."

"Wait. So my Junk Synchron's switched to attack mode? But that means it can't protect me!"

"Nitro, attack!"

"Yusei's about to pull off a major come from behind victory!"

Nitro Warrior lunged down with a punch on Junk Synchron.

"Can't we be friends!" Hunter screamed, but his lifepoints had already dropped.

Yusei: 400  
>Hunter: 0<p>

"It's over! There's just no love for the former champion these days. His dreams goes up and down again!"

Mandy let out a sigh of relief.

"Mandy," Akiza said, smiling, "I hate to inform you this, but your lip is bleeding."

Mandy became confused then put her hand on her bottom lip and pulled it back to see blood.

"Oh," she said, then giggled. "I guess I got a little carried away with my emotions, huh?"


	17. Catfight to the Finish

**Here's one of the most exciting chapters in the history of exciting chapters!... I thought I'd be a little more enthusiastic, but that went a little overboard.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own shit**

**Read and review. Or don't. I don't care-.-**

* * *

><p>Yusei met Mandy at the room, and was surprised with an attack hug from her.<p>

"There's the spunky punk I know and love!" Mandy said in glee. "Yusei Fudo, the Satellites shooting star!"

Yusei returned the hug with a smile.

"How do you think I did out there?" he asked.

"Hmmm..." Mandy pulled away and put her fingers to her chin in thought. "You were awesome, intimidating, cunning, a very good stragetist... I think you're the real champion here." Mandy finished it with a kiss on his cheek, causing him to blush.

"A-are you doing anything right now?" Yusei asked, rubbing his neck.

"Just waiting for my duel," Mandy replied, shrugging her shoulders.

"Do you wanna hang out?"

"Why?"

Yusei smiled and held his hand. "Do you trust me?"

Mandy raised her eyebrow, but smiled and took his hand. "Yes."

Mandy looked at Akiza, who nodded and said, "I'll cover for you."

Mandy nodded in thanks then left with Yusei, who still held her hand.

"Um, can I have my hand back now?"

Yusei looked down at their hands and blushed as he let go.

"S-s-sorry." He then noticed her bleeding lip. "Mandy what happened? Your lip is bleeding."

Mandy blinked at him then chuckled. "Well, I got a little overwhlemed during your duel with Hunter."

Yusei stopped her to tilt her chin to have a better look. Then he started spacing out as he stared at her lips, the bottom still bleeding a little bit. He was so tempted to kiss away the blood.

"Um, Yusei, is it okay? Do I need to go to the hospital or something?"

Yusei came to reality and pulled back with his face a beet-red. "J-just need some cream for it. No stitches."

Mandy giggled at the sight of Yuseis face, it was very unnatural for him.

"Come on, lets go to the mall."

Jack had been leaning on the arm of the couch with his chin in his hand as he boredly watched the next duel.

"Tell me again why Mandy's duel had to be saved for last," Jack demanded.

"Mandy's powers are very dangerous," Goodwin answered. "If we had started her duel first, the entire dome would be destroyed."

"Speaking of Mandy, how's she enjoying herself here? I bet she's as eager for her duel as I am."

"I'm afraid no one has seen her since Yuseis duel."

Lazar had smirk. "I think I might have an idea where she is, _who_ she's with." He then laughed as if it was a joke.

Jacks eyes widened and leaped up in rage. "You mean, Yusei's with my girl!"

Meanwhile, Yusei and Mandy were having a great time outside of the Kaiba Dome. They had went to the mall to look at a few things, but Yusei had first pulled her into a store where they kept bandages and creams. He got some disinfecting cream for her bottom lip and rubbed it on her. The entire time he was doing it, he had spaced out again as he stared straight at her beautiful pink lips. He hadn't noticed that he began to rub the cream very slowly, as if he was trying to be gentle.

Mandy noticed this and her cheeks had turned pink.

"Um, Yusei, I think that's enough..."

Yusei shook his head and leaned back as his face was burning. He rubbed his neck and the girl before him was fiddling with her fingers.

"Why don't we get something to eat," Mandy suggested. "I'm getting kinda hungry."

"Yeah, sure," Yusei agreed.

Mandy insisted on buying the food, but Yusei had beaten her to it. They sat down in the food court in silence, both not knowing exactly what to say.

"So your duel with Hunter was pretty awesome," Mandy said.

"Yeah," Yusei replied. "To be honest, he was pretty good. I thought I was finished when he summoned out that Speed King Skullflame."

Mandy giggled. "I've seen him use Speed King dozens of times on Jack, but it always seemed to backfire on him."

"I don't think Jack would've liked the way Hunter talked about you," Yusei mentioned.

"Yeah, I can imagine he wouldn't," Mandy replied. "As you can probably tell, he's very possessive of me, which I don't get why exactly. We're not even dating..."

"I wouldn't exactly blame him, though. Hunter shouldn't be talking about you like that, considering you're only fifteen."

"Correction. Considering I've only _just _turned fifteen."

"Wasn't that a few days ago?"

"Okay, a few days _after _I just turned fifteen," Mandy said, rolling her eyes.

Yusei smiled. He didn't know why, but being here with Mandy made things so much better. He had been stressing on the thought of his friends being in danger, but being with her made him think that everything will be alright and they are okay.

"So what _were_ going to do after you had beaten Jack, which you did manage to do, by the way," Mandy said. "I mean, he did have a point at the time. Didn't you ever think about what you'll do afterwards?"

Yusei became puzzled when she gave him a serious look. Mandy was right, Jack _did_ have a point. Yusei had spent so much time preparing to go to New Domino City to duel Jack that he had neglected to think about what he'll do after he had beaten him.

Yusei sighed. "I guess not."

Mandy smiled and reached out to place her hand on his.

"You know what my mom did after she became the Queen of Games?" Mandy asked. Yusei nodded, but he allowed her to continue. "She got the supplies she needed and went straight back to the Satellite. If she was still here..." Mandy heard herself whimper at that, but she tried to stay strong. "She would probably tell you that you can't just come here to get your revenge without planning something afterwards. You need to not get yourself so caught up on your current plans that you can't think about what to do afterwards, Yusei. You need keep planning until you know that you've accomplished something."

Yusei smiled. "I think she just told me that now..."

Mandy blushed, but it soon faded as she heard her phone ring.

"Hello?... Hey, Akiza, what's... What!? Okay, I'm on my way!"

She put her phone up hastily as she looked at Yusei.

"The last duel's almost over. I'm gonna be late!"

Yusei got up and grabbed her hand. "Not if we get there fast enough."

They both ran to their runners, revved up, and rode off.

Akiza had been waiting anxiously for Mandy to arrive.

"I'm here! Am I too late!"

Akiza smiled as she saw the dark haired girl run toward her.

"No, you're just in time."

Mandy sighed in relief. Yusei smiled as he walked to her side.

"Can't wait to see you duel," Yusei said. "I'm gonna need to see what I'm gonna be up against."

Mandy smirked and kissed his cheek. "Try not to get scared when you see my deck."

Yusei blushed at her teasing, but she had already walked with Akiza before she could look at him.

Once they came to a stop, Akiza grabbed Mandy's hands.

"Good luck, Mandy. I'll be rooting for you."

Mandy smiled as she heard her own words be told to her.

"Thanks, Akiza."

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for our final duel of the day! It's a catfight to the finish between two high school rivals!"

Everyone began cheering.

"I can't believe it's finally Mandy's turn," Dexter said excitedly.

"I'm so excited, I think I might go crazy!" Leo said.

"Entering the arena is a preppy high school cheerleading captain, a pretty little lady with a frightening nature. Give it up for Miss Lisa!"

Everyone cheered as Lisa appeared into the arena. She smiled and started blowing kisses to the crowd.

"Heh. 'Snot surprising that she would go up against our girl," Tanner commented.

"And her opponent, the child of legends, the heir to the throne, the princess we all know and love, Chloe Kitsunes daughter, Mandy Kuso!"

The whole crowd went mad as Mandy appeared before them. She simply smiled and waved at each person that cheered.

"Lets go, Mandy! " Alexa shouted. "Show 'em what you're made of!"

Mandy became shocked at the sight of her aunt, dad, and cousin in one of the stands, then smiled in excitement.

Akiza watched with a smile as Yusei sat down next to her.

"Alright, Miss Kuso," Zigzix said excitedly. "Lets see how powerful you really are!"

Mandy turned to face Lisa, but put her hand on her mouth to keep from snickering when she spotted her swollen black eye.

"Wow, Lisa. Did I punch you that hard?" Mandy mocked.

Lisa growled. "Shut up!"

"Alright, ladies, are you ready!"

Lisa and Mandy activated their duel disks.

"Lets duel!"

Lisa: 4000  
>Mandy: 4000<p>

"I'll go first," Lisa said. "I draw, and from my hand I summon the Saphire Valkyrie(ATK 1200/DEF 1500) in attack mode! Then I activate the spell card, Spear of the Gods, which gives my Valkyrie an extra 800 points. Then I place two cards facedown and end my turn."

"Lisa's coming in strong! Mandy better watch her back!"

From up in the tower, Goodwin and Lazar watched with their hands behind their backs.

"Lets see if Miss Lisa can push Miss Kuso to her limits," Lazar said.

Jack kept his attention on Mandy when the duel started.

"My move then," Mandy said. "I summon Black Mage(ATK 900/DEF 1800) in attack mode! And for every summon, her attack points double up to 1800, which allows me to summon White Mage(ATK 900/DEF 1800) in defense mode."

Lisa glared. "So what if your Black Mage doubles in a summoning faze? My Valkyrie's still stronger!"

"That's true. I'll end my turn with a facedown."

"This is a surprising move, ladies and gentlemen. Our heir to the throne has made a risky move by summoning Black Mage and White Mage, but Black Mages attack points only double to 1800!"

Akiza and Yusei got confused. What could Mandy possibly be thinking?

"How come Mandy summoned Black Mage when she only doubles up to 1800 attack points?" Luna asked.

"She must have a reason for summoning Black Mage," Dexter said.

"That's right," Tanner said. "Chloe always had a reason for summoning a monster whose attack points are lower than the opponents monster."

"Hmph! I think I'll just go ahead and destroy White Mage," Lisa said. "Go, Saphire Valkyrie! Strike down with your spear!"

"Not so fast, Lisa!" Mandy shouted. "I activate my facedown, Elemental Charms!"

_Elemental Charms allows you to choose a charm with different attributes, which also gives your monster 900 attack points and attacks with the charm that is chosen._

The Elemental Charms appeared around Black Mages neck.

"Now that my Black Mages attack points are up to 2700, that means the only monster that's about to be struck down is your Saphire Valkyrie. And I think I'll do that with the fire charm."

"Oh, no!" Lisa screamed in fear.

A charm on the bottom right glowed with its symbol turning red.

"Now, Black Mage, make Saphire Valkyrie feel the burn!"

Black Mages hand turned into flames and blasted them at Saphire Valkyrie, costing Lisa her 900 lifepoints.

Lisa: 3100  
>Mandy: 4000<p>

"Wow! What an amazing move! Our heir to the throne has taken out that Valkyrie with her Black Mages charms!"

"So that's why she summoned Black Mage," Leo said.

"That's right," Tanner said. "Since the Spear of the Gods only gave Saphire Valkyrie 800 more attack points and Black Mage doubles in a summoning faze, Elemental Charms gives Black Mage an extra 900 attack points. That gave Mandy the advantage on attacking Lisa."

"What an incredible move," Akiza said in amazment.

Yusei nodded.

"Very impressive," Lazar comented. "Miss Kuso really is like her mother."

"Pretty impressive as always, Mandy," Lisa said, "but you've only activated my Jewel of Resurection spell. This way I can bring back my original monster from my grave and also summon another monster to the field. So not only am I bringng back Saphire Valkyrie, but I'm also summoning Black Snake Medusa(ATK 1500/DEF 1900) in attack mode!"

Mandy smirked. "You know the story where Medusa was so ugly she turned everyone to stone with just one look? That actually reminds me of you, only worse."

Lisa growled. "You shut your mouth!"

"I'm only speaking the truth, _Lisa._"

"This is a very interesting turn of events. Mandy is taunting her arch enemy!"

"I'll teach you to mess with me! Thanks to Black Snake Medusas special ability, I can drain some of your lifepoints and give her some more attack points. Guess how much you lose. 1000! Go on, Black Snake Medusa. Suck her lifepoints with Shadow Snake!"

Black Snake Medusas snake shot from her arm and lunged toward Mandy, but a forcefield deflected the attack.

"Huh?! What the-"

"Did you honestly forget one of my White Mages special abilities?" Mandy mocked. White Mage was playing her harp as the forcefield glowed. "Her defense points gain another 800 points for every spell card you activate. And you won't like it when I switch her to attack mode, because she gets real angry when someone tries to hurt me." Mandy switched White Mage to attack mode, and boy was White Mage mad. "But you should be thankful, Lisa, 'cause she only does half of the damage Black Mage does."

White Mage strung her harpstrings, which made a powerful arrow shoot at Black Snake Medusa.

Lisa: 2650  
>Mandy: 4000<p>

"What an amazing counter attack! We are definately looking at the late Queen of Games now, everyone!"

"Since it's my turn now, I think I'll use the spell card, Sacrifice a Life, which allows me to sacrifice a monster from my field to my graveyard. In doing so, I also destroy the card by sacrificing 2500 lifepoints. You've been a good help, White Mage, but you've gotta go now."

White Mage began to fade along with the card.

Lisa: 2650  
>Mandy: 1500<p>

"This is one of the most shocking moves I've ever seen, people! Mandy has sacrificed both her monster and her lifepoints! What could she be thinking!?"

"2500 lifepoints," Akiza said in shock.

"That's a pretty risky move she played there," Greiger said, walking over to them. "She does realize that she just gave Lisa the advantage, right?"

Lisa laughed. "Do you have any idea what you're doing right now? Are you begging to lose this duel?"

"Are you finally getting ready to try to win this time, Lisa?" Mandy mocked with a smirk.

Lisa growled. "Mock me all you want, but this time I'm gonna show Jack Atlas what a big loser you really are. Then he'll finally pay attention to _me, _and dump you like yesterdays garbage."

Mandy rolled her eyes. "Ugh! You're still fed up on that crap? Give it a rest already!"

"My, my," Lazar said. "Miss Kuso really does dislike you very much, Jack. It's no wonder she's always annoyed when you visit her school." He then laughed.

Jack glared, but said nothing.

"What to do," Lisa said playfully. "I think I'll activate my facedown, Sphere of Judgement, which decides how much lifepoints it takes away from you, and... Oooh! You're lucky it's only 100 lifepoints!"

Sphere of Judgement began to glow and made Mandy glow as well.

Lisa: 2650  
>Mandy: 1400<p>

"Mandy's lifepoints have been drained, but it's lucky it was only 100 lifepoints!"

"Come on, Mandy," Cayenne said in worry.

"Kick Lisas butt!" Alexa shouted.

"I'll just end my turn like that. Your move!"

"I place three cards facedown and activate one, which is Card Dealer. With this, I'm allowed to show you the other two facedowns and I send all three to the graveyard."

One of the facedowns had been the Level Switch trap card, and the other was the Book of Spells spell card.

Yusei and Akiza were shocked. Those were very good cards. Why would Mandy destroy them?

"That's a pretty dumb move," Greiger commented.

Yusei crossed his arms. "She's up to something. I know it."

"Hmmm... I'll summon out Starlight Diva (ATK 1700/DEF 2000) in attack mode. In doing so, I get a Star and Saber token(ATK 700). Remember, with every summon comes another token!" Lisa had sang that last part.

"Ugh!" Jack said in disgust. "That girls voice is so annoying!"

"I bet spending a day with her would be torture for you, Jack. Mandy would probably enjoy every moment of that." Lazar laughed at this llittle joke.

Goodwin paid no heed to Lazars jokes, but watched to see if Mandy can be pushed to her limits.

_'I don't care what Goodwin thinks you are,' _Lisa thought. _'I'm only doing this to prove to Jack that I'm better than you.'_

A few flashbacks of Mandy's past duels with Lisa came through her mind.

_'I always lost to you. Everytime I challenged you, you always made a surprise attack and beat me! Well, that's all about to change.'_

The flashbacks ended and Lisa smirked.

"It's your turn, Mandy. What're you waiting for?"

Mandy drew a card as she thought, _'Man, this is gonna be harder than I thought. I've gotta admit, Lisa has gotten a little better.'_

"I'll just place one card facedown, and then summon Guardian Wolf(ATK 1400/DEF 2000) in attack mode."

"Oh, looky! Another Star and Saber token!"

"Not yet. I also summon from my hand, KittyBat(ATK 300/DEF 300) in defense mode. I'm done with my turn."

"Well, looks like I've got all three of my Star and Saber tokens. And you know what happens when all three are on my field? Starlight Diva uses them as weapons and destroys one of your monsters. Go ahead, Starlight Diva! Strike out her Black Mage!"

Starlight Diva raised her hand and the tokens rose up. Then she threw down her arm and sent the Star and Sabers flying at Black Mage.

"You forgot my Elemental Charms spell," Mandy said, smirking. "I'll deflect your attack by using the light charm."

The charm on the upper right glowed with its symbol glowing yellow. As the Star and Sabers came close, Black Mages hand glowed yellow and she swiftly swatted her arm once and the tokens disappear.

"Hey!" Lisa shouted. "That's not fair!"

"That's what you get for underestimating my monsters special abilities. Now, Black Mage, give Starlight Diva a little more light!"

Black Mage blasted the light at Starlight Diva.

Lisa: 1750  
>Mandy: 1400<p>

"What an incredible surprise attack! Mandy's starting to get more advantage than Lisa would've liked!"

"Now that it's my turn, I'll have my Guardian Wolf destroy KittyBat. Sorry, Kitty." Guardian Wolf pounced on KittyBat and latched its fangs onto the kitten. "Then I'll place a card facedown. Your move, Lisa."

Lisa growled. "I'm still ahead of you, Mandy! I activate the Carriage of the Dead, which allows me to destroy my Saphire Valkyrie in order to summon Triton, the Water Guardian(ATK 2200/DEF 2000)! Not only that, but once my Starlight Diva is destroyed, I get to draw another card." Lisa drew out a card and smirked. "You're in trouble now. I activate the spell card, Dragons Fire, in order to summon Dragon Samurai(ATK 2400/DEF 2000) in attack mode! Thanks to his special ability, I can slice half of your lifepoints. You're finished!"

Dragon Samurai drew out his sword and slashed Mandy.

Lisa: 1750  
>Mandy: 700<p>

"Oh, no!" Leo yelled.

"There's no way Mandy can win this duel now," Cayenne said in shock.

"Aw, man! And just when I was enjoying Lisa losing every time," Alexa said.

"Looks like she's done for," Greiger said. "It's all over."

"Not yet it isn't," Yusei said.

Mandy had been smiling the entire time, making Lisa confused and mad.

"What're you smiling for?"

"Oh, I'm just gonna summon out my tutor monster Rainbow Pixie(ATK 500/DEF 500)!"

_Rainbow Pixie is level 3 tutor monster that synchronizes with two level 2 monsters at once._

"A tutor monster?!" Lisa shouted in shock and fear. "Where'd you get that!?"

"A little birthday present from a friend of mine," Mandy said, smirking. "And thanks to Rainbow Pixies special ability, I get to activate my facedown, Call of the Haunted, which now allows me to summon back White Mage from my graveyard."

Tanner smiled.

"You gave her that card?" Leo asked in shock.

"Yep. Got it from a street merchant and saved it up for her."

"So what!? I'm still ahead!" Lisa shouted.

"Not for long, you're not. Thanks to my White Mages special ability, I regain the lifepoints I once had and add them to her attack points."

White Mage played her harp as sparkles began to fall from it and engulf Mandy into a sparkling white light.

Lisa: 1750  
>Mandy: 2300<p>

"Amazing," Akiza said in excitement.

"I guess you know what happens next, huh, Yusei?" Greiger asked.

Yusei nodded.

"Since Rainbow Pixie's a level 3 monster," Dexter said, "and Mandy's mages are level two, then that means..."

"She can synchro summon a level 7 monster!" Leo shouted in excitement.

"That'a girl!" Alexa cheered.

"Now I tune in my Rainbow Pixie with my Black Mage and White Mage in order to synchro summon Rainbow Sorceress(ATK 2200/DEF 2000)!"

As Mandy's Rainbow Sorceress was summoned, a rainbow began to appear in the Kaiba Dome.

"Incredible! Mandy has sacrificed enough lifepoints in order to synchro summon her Rainbow Sorceress, and in doing so, a rainbow has come to the Kaiba Dome! What an amazing move!"

Lisa became scared at this.

"What's wrong, Lisa?" Mandy mocked. "Scared of a little magic?"

Lisas fear soon changed into rage. "Shut up, Mandy! I'm not scared! Not when I have my Dragon Samurai and Triton out in the field! Along with this facedown, Element Fusion! With this, I can boost up Triton so that his attack points are equal to Dragon Samurais. Face it, Mandy, you can't beat me when your Sorceress is only 200 points lower than them."

Mandy's smile didn't fade. "You'd be surprised on what my Sorceress is for."

"What does she mean by that?" Greiger asked.

"Not exactly sure," Yusei answered.

"Well, I'm done with my turn, for now," Lisa said overconfidently.

"Thanks. I'll have my Sorceress give you the same amount of lifepoints I was given," Mandy said. Rainbow Sorceress rose her hand forward and engulfed Lisa in a rainbow. "You better keep your lifepoints safe, Lisa, because I'm summoning out the Three-headed Dark Warrior(ATK 500/DEF 500) in attack mode."

"What're you going to do with him?"

"Something that might just blow everyone's mind away. I'm tuning in Dark Warrior with my Guardian Wolf in order to synchro summon Dark Guardian Cerberus(ATK 3000/DEF 2900)!"

_Dark Guardian Cerberus is a dark attributed synchro monster that can attack three monsters at once, which triples the damage to your opponents lifepoints._

Dark Guardian Cerberus roared in triumph as he was summoned and stands at Mandy's side.

"Unbelievable! Mandy has summoned out a level 7 monster with 3000 attack points!"

Lisa nearly coward in fear at the sight of the monster.

"W-W-W-Where'd you get that!?"

"Another birthday present from another one of my friends," Mandy answered in amusement.

"I knew it!" Yanagi shouted in joy. "I knew she'd summon out Cerberus!"

"Let me guess, grandpa," Tanner said. "You gave her that?"

"That's right!"

Akiza stared in awe at the monster.

"That's amazing."

"No kidding," Greiger said in shock.

_'Yanagi gave her that?'_ Yusei thought in shock.

"You know what happens when Cerberus is summoned? His special ability is that he can destroy three monsters at once. I know that you only have two monsters, but he can also destroy that spell card on your field. In doing so, it triples the damage to your lifepoints."

Lisa screamed in fear.

"Sick 'em, boy!"

Cerberus roared as he leaped onto Lisas field and destroyed her monsters and spellcard.

Lisa: 1050  
>Mandy: 2300<p>

Lisa coward in fear, but she soon started laughing.

"What's she laughing for?" Alexa said.

"You little tramp! You just did me a favor by destroying two monsters and one spellcard, which allows me to use the spell, Sacrificial Tomb!"

Yusei and Akiza gasped in shock.

"What!?" Jack exclaimed.

"Where'd she get that?!" Alexa yelled.

"You know what Sacrificial Tomb does, don't you? I'm only allowed to activate this card if I have two monsters and one spell sent to my graveyard. Now, thanks to you, I'm able to fuse all the monsters from my grave in order to summon Chaotic Hydra(ATK 3200/DEF 2800)!"

_Chaotic Hydra is a level 7 monster that can feed off your opponents lifepoints in order to gain 100 attack points._

"Face it, Mandy! I've backed you into a corner! This is the big moment where I finally win this battle! Once I'm done with you, I think I'll give your friend Yusei a surprise he'll never forget, and that little witch, too!"

Mandy became angry at this. "You wouldn't dare..."

"I would dare, and I _will_ dare! Hydra, feed off of her lifepoints!"

Hydra screeched as one of its heads lowered toward Mandy, but something stopped it.

"Well, what're you waiting for? Drain her lifepoints!"

"What's wrong with Hydra?" Leo asked. "Why isn't he sucking out Mandy's lifepoints?"

"Did Lisa forget something?" Cayenne asked. "Or is there something that she neglected to see?"

Yusei and Akiza stared in confusion at this. Why wasn't Mandy's lifepoints being drianed?

"Come on, you stupid lizard!" Lisa yelled in frustration. "Eat her lifepoints!"

Mandy smiled, making everyone she knew confused.

"What's she smiling for?"

"Is she smiling?"

"Why would she smile?"

"What's going on?" Jack said, getting up and walking to the window to get a better look.

"What? What're you smiling for!?" Lisa said in anger.

"You're Hydra can't do shit," Mandy replied. "You know why? Because of my facedown, Solar Eclipse, which puts out your Hydras attempts to attack me so that I can summon one of my twin dragon sisters."

Everyone gasped.

"You don't mean?" Lisa said in fear.

"That's right. Now I'm activating the power of Solar Eclipse!" The spellcard, Solar Eclipse, glowed and made the sun and moon come together for a real eclipse, making both her monsters glow. "Now I'm tuning in my Dark Guardian Cerberus and Rainbow Sorceress in order to synchro summon Light Sun Dragon(ATK 2400/DEF 2000)!"

Cerberus and Sorceress then shot up into the eclipse, and it glowed as it formed into a white dragon with a sperent like body, glowing solar wings, a head shaped like a serpent with a sun symbol on its forehead, and two arms with glass like claws. This was Light Sun Dragon.

She roared as the eclipse disappeared and began glowing sunrays in the entire stadium, making everyone cover their eyes.

"Awesome!" Leo shouted.

"This is one of the most astonishing summons I have ever seen! Mandy has used an eclipse to synchro summon her Light Sun Dragon!"

Lisa growled at this. "So what! Hydra's still stronger than that dragon! He has more attack points!"

"Maybe," Mandy replied, "but there' something you haven't learned about the eclipse spell. See, when Solar Eclipse had stopped Hydras attack, it drained some of its strength so that my Light Sun Dragon is equally strong. Not only that, but thanks to my Cerberus and Sorceress' sacrifice, she gains an extra 500 attack points."

"That's impossible!" Lisa shouted.

"Oh, it's possible," Mandy said as her dragon came to her side. "Now, Light Sun Dragon, take out Chaotic Hydra with Solar Flare!"

Light Sun Dragon roared as it blew solar flames and destroyed Chaotic Hydra.

Lisa: 0  
>Mandy: 2300<p>

"Mandy Kuso wins!"

Everyone began cheering and chanting Mandy's name. The girl simply turned around, smiled, and bowed to the audience.

"AAAAHHHH! I ALWAYS LOSE TO YOU! THIS IS NOT FAIR!"

Mandy turned to her rival and winked. "Whatcha gonna do about it?"

"I'm afraid we've found nothing, sir," Zigzix said in disappointment.

"Lisa was too weak to have Mandy activate her powers," Goodwin said. "Miss Kuso's been dueling her since junior high. I was a fool to think that giving her that spellcard would push her to her limits."

"No matter," Lazar said, "I'm sure we'll be able to see her eyes eventually."

"Well, what do you know," Greiger said with a smile. "She really is Chloe Kitsunes daughter."

Akiza and Yusei smiled, obviously glad to see that Mandy had won.

"Woohoo! You go, girl!" Alexa yelled at the top of her lungs.

"Way to go, Mandy!" Leo shouted along with her.

Mandy turned to her family and waved at them, which they returned.

Light Sun Dragon leaned down toward her master, who put her hands on her head and held her face against it.

"Thanks, Light Sun."

Light Sun Dragon replied with an affectionate growl.


	18. Return to the Spirit World Part 1

**Sorry it took so long, my dear readers and friends... (Wow I can't believe I said that o.o') I have so many other stories and it's so hard to do all of them at once. Sorry if I made you wait too long queeny...**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**Read and review. Or don't. I don't care-.-**

* * *

><p>Mandy walked to Yusei and the others as they gathered around to congratulate her. Mandy ruffled the twins hair as Leo described how awesome she was, and her friends gave her high fives. Yusei had given her an admiring smile, which she returned, although it was not yet out of admiration.<p>

Once they were alone, Yusei walked over to her.

"So what'd ya think?" she sang/asked.

"You were quite the duelist," Yusei said. "I think I might need to watch my back in case I face you."

Mandy smirked at this. "You better keep a sharp eye out, Yusei. 'Cause you never know what kind of surprises I have instore for you."

Yusei returned the smirk as he bent towards her level. "I'm looking forward to it."

Mandy blushed a little, but smiled nonetheless. How her smile made his heart leap... Wait, what? Soon his thoughts were cleared when they heard someone clear their throat and they looked to see Akiza standing there with a smile.

"Hey, Akiza," Mandy said, smiling at her psychic friend.

"Am I interrupting something?" Akiza asked, sending a smirk to Yusei who was blushing like mad.

"Not really. Yusei was just giving me a few compliments here and there."

Akiza nodded. "You were amazing, Mandy. I think I might need to watch out if I ever face you."

Mandy smirked. "You better."

Soon, a guard came in with a bouquet of flowers saying, "Miss Kuso, Jack sent me to give these to you to congratulate you with your duel. He knew you would win."

Mandy groaned as she sweatdropped and took the flowers. "Thanks..."

The guard nodded before walking away. Mandy's face grew red in irritation at the flowers. She had hoped that Jack would have nothing to do with her after she hand-cuffed him and stole Stardust Dragon, but as usual the universe just wouldn't give her peace.

"I should get going," Akiza said with a look of pity toward her friend.

"Yeah. Hey, do you mind getting rid of these for me?" Mandy asked, reaching the flowers to her psychic friend.

Akiza smiled. "Not at all." She took the flowers before she left.

Yusei had wrapped an arm around Mandy as she sighed. "My god. You'd think that he would've given up after I hand-cuffed him and stole a dragon back, but noooo. His stupid ego won't let him."

Yusei smiled at her in sympathy. "I should've probably warned you that he still has an interest in you. He told me to stay away from you when I last saw him."

Mandy looked at him. "Yeah, I figured he would do that... Um, may I be released from this hold now?"

Yusei became confused before his face turned red, realizing that he was still holding onto Mandy. She giggled as he quickly removed his arm from around her shoulders.

Afterwards, they had announced that the losers would be given the chance to go to the next rounds, and Luna had been chosen to go against the Professor.

Luna met up with Mandy as she walked. "Hey, Mandy, I'm a little scared. Do you mind if you went to the field with me?"

Mandy smiled. "Sure, sweety. If it'll make you feel better."

Luna smiled and the two walked hand in hand.

People had gotten confused at first, but Goodwin had accepted Mandy being with Luna at the field and made everyone think it was cute.

During the entire duel, Mandy and Luna had appeared to be possessed, as if the Professor had hypnotized them or something. However, the two were somehow in a forest.

"Mandy, where are we?" Luna asked her sister in fear.

"I'm not sure," Mandy replied, holding the little girl. "Stay close to me."

Soon they were joined by Kuriban and Sunlight Unicorn in the forest, and then they were attacked by one of the Professors monsters.

"Luna, stay down!" Mandy shouted, holding onto Luna as best as she could.

Then images of herself from eight years ago popped into her head. She was walking down a path in the forest, following Rainbow Pixie.

Hours seemed to have passed before Mandy was herself again and the monster was gone.

_"Luna..." _a voice said.

"Huh? Who is that?" Luna asked.

_"Luna..."_

"Who are you? Where are you?" Mandy asked, holding Luna close to her.

_"Luna... You have come back to fulfill the promise you had made..."_

"What do you want us to do?"

_"You can both come with me..."_


	19. Return to the Spirit World Part 2

**Okay, chapter nineteen! Hope you all like it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own shit, except for my oc's**

**Read and review. Or don't. I don't care-.-**

* * *

><p>Mandy held Luna protectively. What did this person mean by a promise? Was it the promise that the Crimson Dragon was talking about?<p>

"What're you talking about exactly? Who are you?" Mandy asked.

_"Luna has come to fulfill the promise to protect the Spirit world from the darkness that will come," _the voice replied.

Mandy looked to Luna for an explanation, but the small girl was just as confused as she was.

"If answers is what you seek, Mandy, then you can both come with me to recieve them."

Mandy looked out into the air for any sign of the Crimson Dragon, but the dragon wasn't anywhere to be found.

"C'mon, Luna," the teen said, carrying Luna and putting onto Sunlight Unicorn, "I know it sounds like a crazy idea, but if we want answers, we might as well do what this person says. Despite the danger."

Luna could only nod. "Okay, Mandy."

"Alright, lead the way, Sunlight Unicorn."

Sunlight Unicorn nayed before galloping deep into the forest.

Meanwhile, Yusei watched in confusion as he observed the possessed state that both Luna and Mandy were in.

_'What did he do to them?'_ he thought to himself as he observed their eyes, which were fogged. _'I gotta do something.'_

He then got up and started walking out.

"Mandy, I'm scared," Luna whimpered with Kuriban

Mandy held her close. "It's okay, Luna. You're safe as long as you're with me." She looked on at the dead trees that tey were now passing. _'Why does everything seem so dead?'_

_"An evil force is attempting to cross the void an maintaine access to the spirit world. it yearns to twist and corrupt this place to harness its power for malicious purposes."_

"Malicious purposes?" Luna asked.

"That's right," Mandy said. "Even now I can feel its presence from these trees. That's why everything seems so dead."

Sunlight Unicorn then came to a stop, allowing the girls to get off. What they saw was a very surprising sight. A stone of a dragon.

"Hey, wait a second," Mandy said. "That dragon seems familiar."

"Really? Have you seen it before?" Luna asked.

Mandy put her hand to her head. "I think so, but I don't remember..."

"Hey, I've seen it too!"

They both gasped as they realised...

"You're Ancient Fairy Dragon!" they both shouted.

_"We meet again. It's time to fulfill your promise, Luna. Or your brothers spirit may be lost here forever."_

"Where's my brother?" Luna asked.

_"Lost between your world and ours. Now allow me to take you back to the first time you came to help you remember thepromise you that would save this world and your brothers spirit."_

_"Almost done," the younger Luna said, making a wreath of flowers. "Tadaa! Here!"_

_She set the wreath onto Kuriban and the monsters laughed._

_"It just got really cold..."_

_The monsters did not notice this and continued to laugh, until the wreath wilted from Kuribans head, making it sad._

_"Huh, that's wierd. The flowers they wilted."_

_"The spirit world is in danger, Luna. An evil force has been trying to gain access to this place to take over. With sinister intent, this force reaches out to squeeze the force of our beloved land. As this strength grows, the light of the spirit world will begin to fade and the beauty of this place will be replaced by sorrow and darkness."_

_"Can't you stop it?" Luna asked._

_"No, but you can, Luna..."_

_"What can I do?"_

_"You are a bridge that connects your world and ours. Stay with us, Luna. Protect us, and in return we can help you. We feel your sadness, my child. We know you're very lonely. You are lonely, aren't you?"_

_Luna became sad at this. "Yeah, kinda. Mom and Dad are always away on important buisness trips and stuff like that, and I don't go to school like the other kids. And my silly egghead brother only thinks about himself. Of course, Mandy's always there for me, but I don't want to burden her because she still has her promise to her mom." Luna then smiled. "Okay, Fairy Dragon, I will stay and protect this place. I'll protect everyone."_

_The monsters began to cheer._

_"Thank you, Luna. And I will make sure that you'll never feel lonely again."_

"I... I remember now," Luna said. "I came here several years ago and I made a promise, that I said I'd protect you. But then..."

Meanwhile, Yusei ran down to the field.

"Luna! Mandy!" The two possessed girls did not respond. "They can't hear me." He took a look at the Professor and saw that his eyes became fogged as well. _'This is wierd. It's like they're all hypnotized. What is going on? Their eyes look so distant.'_

_"Luna... Mandy..."_

_"Leo!"_

Leo then fainted.

"Uh, Leo, what's wrong?" Alexa asked in alarm.

"Leo, this is no time for a nap," Yanagi said.

Tanner got up and patted his face. "He's out. Did he just faint?"

"I'm not sure," Dexter said.

"Let's take him to the first aid!" Yanagi suggested.

Meanwhile, Luna and Mandy continued to watch the past.

"Back then, I heard Leos voice calling to me," the youngr girl continued. Luna fell to her knees with tears in her eyes, and Mandy knelt beside her. "I heard him shouting my name, and then I... I started running as fast as I could. I said that my brother was calling out for me, but I think that I had been calling out to him somehow." Mandy wrapped her arms around Luna in comfort. "I was scared. I was afraid that I wasn't gonna be able to protect you by myself, so I just ran. After that, I tried so hard to forget about you and then I-"

They heard a growling from behind them and saw the dragon-like monster was behind. Luna clung to Mandy for protection and the girl held her close and glared at it.

"Luna! Mandy!" Yusei shouted to the girls, but they didn't respond. _'It's gotta be this Professor creep. He's doing something to them, but what?'_

He then spotted something that he never thought he would see. Lunas arm started glowing and showed the mark of a claw.

"No way! She has a mark like mine!" _'Okay, wherever they are, they're not here. Their bodies might be, but their spirits...'_

_Th-thump_

Mandy gasped. "Someone's coming..."

"What?" Luna asked.

Just then, the monster started to fade and showed the face of the Professor, who was acting like anything but a normal person. In fact, he started to look like a madman.

The Professor chuckled. "I can not believe that I have finally crossed over. I've finally left my body behind. I have entered the Spirit world!"

"What do you want?" Mandy asked as she glared.

"You are much more important then you think, my dears. Now use your signer powers and show me the secrets of this realm. Lend me your power..."

Dark shadows began to lurk from beneath his feet and crawl towards the two girls, but a light came from beneath Mandy's feet and slashed it away. This made the Professor flinch and smirk at the teen.

"So it's true. Your innocence and purity contains the light, Mandy Kuso."

Mandy glared as she watched the trees die from the darkness. "Stop it! You are hurting this place!"

The Professor only laughed. "Am I?"

"Yes, you are!"

"Mandy, I wanna go home," Luna said.

"But if we leave, Leos spirit will be lost here forever. Our only chance is to defeat this guy."

_"Luna... Mandy... I hear you..."_

The two gasped.

"That's Leo," Luna said.

"Leo!" Mandy shouted.

"Leo, where are you? Get us out of here!"

"Stop messing around!"

"I'm scared and I wanna leave this place!"

_"Luna... Mandy..."_

"Do something, Leo! Hurry!"

Then a puddle started to form in the ground.

_"Luna, Mandy. Down here..."_

The two knelt down in front of the pond.

"Leo, is that you?"

Just as Luna had asked this, Leos image appeared.

"Leo, are you okay?" Mandy asked in worry.

"leo, you gotta hurry and get us out of here," Luna said.

"I can't get you out of the spirit world," Leo said, "but I saw your promise to the spirits."

"I was three!"

"I know, but I can't keep you from fulfilling your promise. But I'll be right here with you, Luna, and so will Mandy. I'll protect you while you protect them."

"But I don't know how, Leo..."

Mandy put her hand on Luna shoulder. "Don't worry, sweety, I'm here. I'll protect you both with my life, and I'll help protect the spirit world as well." She looked up at the Professor and glared. "And you have no reason to be here. I've seen your evil intentions. Yliaster thinks you're trying to help them, but no, you're only trying to take the spirit world for yourself. Well, let me tell you something. That'll never happen, because your soul is dark and cruel."

Luna stood up with Mandy and held her hand. "We're not letting you take the spirit worlds power. Not now, not ever."

The Professor glared at the girls before bringing out his duel disk. "Then I guess I'll have to take its power by force then!"

Luna brought her duel disk and got into a stance. "Just try it. I promised to protect this world and I'm going to keep my promise!"

Mandy nodded in agreement.

As the duel was coming close to being over, Mandy's eyes began to glow red.

_'Use my power and cast him out, my child,' _she heard the Crimson Dragon say.

Mandy nodded before holding out her hand. "By the power of the spirit world and the Crimson Dragon..." Just as she said this, a tornadoe started to form. "I cast you out!" Then the torndoe took the Professor and started swirling around. Unfortunately, it took Both Mandy and Luna along with him.

"Mandy, what's happening?!" Luna shouted, holding onto Mandy's waist.

"I don't know, but hold on! Don't let go!"

They were too busy screaming that they didn't notice their lifepoints going to down.

Mandy opened her eyes and saw that they were back into the real world. She looked down at Luna in her arms and tey both gave sigh of relief. They were back. Finally, they were back. They both looked up to see Yusei looking down at them in worry.

"Are you guys alright?" he asked. "You two looked like you were hypnotized or something."

They both smiled at him.

"We're fine, Yusei," Mandy answered. "We were just... How do I say this?"

"In a whole other world?" Luna said.

"Yeah, that's it!"

Yusei smiled as the two laughed.


	20. Yusei Meets Mandy's Father

**Okay, now that I've finished with this chapter, why don't we introduce Yusei to Mandy's dad. Shall we?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own shit**

**Read and review. Or don't. I don't care-.-**

* * *

><p>Mandy and Yusei went home with the twins, but the entire time they were headed there, Mandy seemed to be deep in thought. So deep, she didn't even think about where Leo was going.<p>

When they got home, Luna decided to leave the two alone for a bit. This gave Yusei the oppurtunity to talk to Mandy.

"Are feeling okay, Mandy?" he asked. "You seem a bit off lately."

Mandy just looked at him.

"Is it because of what the Professor did?"

"No, it's not that," Mandy replied, shaking her head. "It's that when I saw who was going against the next round..."

Yusei remembered that the screen showed that she was going against Titus Yamaguchi.

"What about it? Is there something wrong about that guy?"

"Yes, because I know him. We used to be good friends six years ago, and then something happened. Then he just changed all of a sudden."

Yusei grew worried at this. "You're afraid to duel him, aren't you?"

"Who said I was afraid!" she yelled. Mandy realized her tone and sighed. "Sorry, I'm just a little exhausted is all."

Just then, someone had opened the door and Mandy's family stepped in.

"Hey there, baby girl," Tom greeted his daughter.

"Oh, hey, Dad," Mandy greeted back.

"Hey, Mr. Kuso!" Luna shouted from the couch.

"Oh, we didn't realize you had company," Marsha said as they looked at Yusei.

"Oh, yeah. Yusei, this is my dad, Tom, my aunt, Marsha, and my cousin, Peyton," Mandy introduced Yusei to her family.

Tom gave Yusei a stern look. "Who's this? Your boyfriend?"

Both duelists cheeks turned pink and they panicked.

"Absolutely not, sir!"

"Daddy, no!"

"Hah! I'm just kiddin', folks."

The two sighed in relief and Marsha smacked her brother on the head. "Tom, don't emberasse them like that!"

"What? It was just a joke."

Mandy checked her phone and no message from Leo. She immediately started to get worried.

"Hey, I'm gonna go find Leo." With that, she walked out before anyone had a chance to say anything.

It was already nightfall and Mandy still hadn't found Leo anywhere. She then got an idea. She did hear about Greigers new duel-runner that was said to destroy Yusei. Oh, no!

Mandy sped her runner up to Greigers garage and heard the alarms go off.

"Oh, man, I'm too late!"

She tried to break the door open, but it was no use. It didn't take long for Greiger to show up.

"Oh, Greiger, thank god you're here!" she said to him.

"What're you doing here?" he asked. "Here to take a look at my runner like everyone else?"

"No, infact, I'm here to try to stop someone from sabotaging your runner."

Greiger became confused before he opened the door and found Leo sleeping on the ground. Mandy ran over to him and grabbed him in her arms in relief.

"Thank goodness, he's okay...," she whispered.

Greiger looked at her questioningly and Mandy gave him a look that said that she would expain later. With that, he followed her home. They gave her questioning looks, but she dismissed them by saying she would explain later and sent Leo to bed.

"I'm so sorry about Leo, Greiger," she said to the other duelist. "It's my fault. It won't happen again."

"No need to apologise," he replied with an amused smiled. "He reminds me of my own little brother."

Mandy nodded before turning to Yusei, who was inside speaking with her dad. She smiled at the sight, but when she heard Titus' name, her expression turned glum.

"Hey, Dad, I'm gonna go out for a bit. I'll be back before curfew."

Before her father could say a word, she left. Tom immediately figured out that she overheard them talking about her duel with Titus and sighed.

"Man, I shouldn't have mentioned her next duel. I can be so ignorant sometimes..."

Meanwhile, Trudge was riding around until he spotted the Shooting Star not too far from his eye and pulled over. He got off his runner and walked over to where Mandy was sitting on a crate watching the stars above the Satelite.

"Ah, I thought I might catch you here," he called out.

Mandy looked over her shoulder. "Oh, hey, Trudge..."

"What're you doing here so late at night? Shouldn't you be with the twins?"

Mandy looked back up at the sky. "The stars really sparkle over the Satelite. I find watching them shine from here relaxing..."

Trudge looked up at the sky and frowned. "Ah, the old junk city." He then looked back down at the girl. "But you could come out and watch the stars over that city anytime. Something's bothering you... You're worried about the Fortune Cup, aren't you?"

Mandy glared angrily at him. "What did Alexa and Cayenne tell you!"

"Nothing! They didn't have to! You've been moping around like the skies gonna fall all day."

Mandy became glum and sighed. "It's not about the Fortune Cup... Well, it sort of is. I'm not worried I won't beat Jack and fulfill my promise to Mom, I just don't know what I'll do afterwards."

Trudge gave her a look of understanding. "You know, most of the duelists who are participating in the Fortune Cup don't know either. So what's really on your mind, Mandy. You can tell me."

Mandy looked at the Satelite longingly. "I wanna go back to the Satelite, even for just a little while. There's so much out there that has happened, so much I wanna see..."

Trudge shook his head. "I knew letting you kids loose in the Satelite years ago was a mistake. Mandy, the Satelite is a dangerous place. People are mean and don't care about anybody else."

"You always say that you can't judge on anything after you make the first move, that you have to be patient with others as they are with you."

"I was talking about dueling. You can't learn great strategies from a book."

"But if it's true, then it applies to everything else right? Well, that's how I feel about the Satelite. I want to experience it again..."

"I don't think you're ready..."

"I knew you were gonna say that..."

"Mandy, you know what happened the last time you- Hey, wait a minute! I just realized where we are! We're in the clearing where you first dueled Titus!"

"We are? I didn't realize..."

Truth be told, she did realize it. She was so drawn to the memory that she couldn't help but go to it.

Meanwhile, back at home...

"Tom, can you please explain to me what happened between Mandy and Titus?" Yusei asked.

Tom sighed. "Well, does that bring back memories. Titus Yamaguchi was one of the best duelists in New Domino High, and he was also friends with my daughter, despite the ten year difference. He was fast, cunning, and a good strategist. See, Mandy was nine years old when she started dueling. And once word got out that a fourth grader defeated three guys at once, everyone saw that she would grow into a fomidable duelist, even better than Titus. Titus' ego wouldn't let him accept that. He challenged Mandy to a one on one duel in the city streets at mdinight. One of the citizens told Sector Security, and they came as quickly as they could. But by the time they arrived, everyone could see Mandy was winning. Titus was disgusted with his own failure. He left high school without graduating. I haven't seen or heard from him since..."

"Is that it, Mandy?" Trudge asked the teen. "Are you going to drop out, like Titus did?"

Mandy glared at the ground. "Maybe..."

"Titus left because he couldn't control his ego! You humiliated him, and I bet he still carries that scar! Do you really want to be like that?"

Mandy became enraged. "I am _nothing_ like him! Titus was lazy, slow, and complacent, while Lisa was just too damn stubborn! I was a faster strategist, a better duelist! I don't feel bad for taking him down since he left without a note years ago!"

Trudge then began to laugh.

"What's so funny? What're you laughing at me for?"

"For your blindness, Mandy." Mandy became confused at this. "Stubborn, complacent... All words I could use to describe your recent performance. Only for you it's worse, because rely too much on your monsters special abilities."

Mandy became angry again. "That's not true! It's just that nobody here is good enough to beat me, just like Titus wasn't!"

Trudge looked at her. "Listen, to yourself. You're starting to sound like Jack Atlas."

Mandy realized her mistake and frowned in sadness. "You're right. I'm sorry..."

Trudge put his hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it. I'm starting to think that you're a little stressed out. Why don't you go on home and get some rest?"

Mandy nodded to Trudge before she went to her runner. "Thanks, Trudge..." With that, she left.


	21. Second Round Showdown Part 1

**Man, school is a total bitch to me these days! Well, that's life, so why complain?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own shit**

**Read and review. Or don't. I don't care-.-**

* * *

><p>Mandy had come home to see that Leo and Luna were sent to bed. She bid her family farewell before she closed the door and went outside to Yusei and Greiger.<p>

"What were you doing out there so late?" Yusei asked.

"Just thinking," Mandy replied. "Tomorrow's gonna be interesting, huh? What with seeing Greigers runner and whatnot."

Greiger smiled to her. "By the way, your duel was pretty impressive. I was starting to have some doubts that you would ever win."

Mandy smirked. "It's all in the element of surprise, my friend."

Yusei smiled at the girl. He was glad that whatever she had to get off her mind was gone and that she could relax a little bit.

"So, Greiger, why did you enter the Fortune Cup?"

Greiger gave the girl a soft smile. "I'm doing this for my family. They're far away somehwere, waiting for me, hoping that I would bring them some help." He looked up at the sky. "We used to count the stars together. Here, there's only smog. Why are you dueling here, Yusei?"

"My friends," Yusei replied begrudgingly. "I don't have a choice about it."

Mandy looked at him sadly.

"Let me guess, Goodwin made you an offer you couldn't refuse, sound right?"

"Well, yeah, how'd you know? He come to you too?"

Greiger nodded towards Yusei. "He offered me a chance to help rebuild my family's village. My people believed that our forefathers were servants to the people of the stars, and that our village has a deep hidden power."

"Hidden power? Are you talking about the legend of the Crimson Dragon?"

"That's right. The legend has it that whoever controls the Crimson Dragon can also control the destiny of the world. I haven't been back to my village in years, but once I'm done with my mission here, I'll go back to rebuild my home."

"You can't trust Goodwins word, Greiger," Yusei said.

"Easy for you to say, but I need Goodwins power to rebuild my village. I heard it was consumed by fire and destruction unlike any other natural disaster ever seen..."

_Lies..._

Mandy flinched as she heard the Crimson Dragons voice.

"Then Director Goodwin came to me. He said he'd help, but not until I help him to fulfill his quest."

"Greiger, don't you see you're being used?" Yusei said.

"If it's the only way to rebuild my village, then I'll let him use me all he wants, Yusei," Grieger replied. "Sorry, but I have to win no matter what..."

"And my friends need me..."

"Then I guess we'll leave it at that. May the best man win..." Greiger started walking away, but then he stopped. "You're a good guy, and in a perfect world we both get we want in the arena tomorrow, but the world isn't perfect. One of us has to lose, and tomorrow it's going to be _you._" With that said, he left.

Mandy wrapped her arms around herself in anxiety. "Well, that was rather heavy. I wish there was something I could do to help with his village." Mandy thought about it for a moment before she smiled. "I know, after I win the Fortune Cup, I'll help Greiger rebuild his village once I get the bridge done. It'll be killing two birds with one stone."

Yusei smiled at her enthusiasm. "You really are something, you know that?"

Mandy blushed. "Well, I'm not that great. You would've seen what my mom was like. Always going out there to help out others. She was a really cool mom..."

Yusei then frowned. "Why did your dad forbid you from turbo dueling?"

Mandy looked at him before sighing walking over to the pool edge to sit and hug her knees to her chest. "Well, you see, my mom died when I was four. And even though he loves me, my dad has a really hard time letting go. I love him and all that, but I wish he would just give me a little space..."

Yusei walked over to her to sit next her. "I can understand that. You want more freedom now that you're older, but I think he only forbade you from turbo dueling because he doesn't want to lose you the way he lost your mom. And not just that, but I don't think he wants you to grow up too fast."

Mandy looked at him with a smile. "Do you have parents like that?"

Yusei shook his head. "I lost my parents when I was a baby. I never knew them..."

Mandy became sad at this. "Oh, I'm sorry..."

Yusei smiled sadly. "Don't be..."

Mandy smiled back and they stared into eachothers eyes. Yusei once again saw the sparkle in her eyes that made her look beautiful.

"Wow..." Yusei whispered.

"What?" Mandy asked.

"Your eyes... Their really beautiful when they sparkle..."

Mandy felt her cheeks flushed a deep shade of red. "U-um, we should get to bed."

Yusei blushed as well and nodded. "Yeah, it's getting late."

They both walked inside in silence.

"Welcome back to the second round of the Fortune Cup! Eight duelists remain, and the winner will take on Jack Atlas in the championship duel! Now in our first turbo duel, we've got Yusei Fudo battling up against the tower of power, Greiger! Start your engines!"

People began cheering.

"Luna, have you seen Leo?" Yanagi asked.

"Yeah, he said he had something important to tell Yusei..."

Mandy helped Yusei prepare for his duel when Leo came in.

"Yusei, I'm really sorry about yesterday," Leo said. "I was just trying to help."

"I understand, but cheating's never the answer," Yusei replied. "Besides, I don't need to cheat to beat Greiger. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a turbo duel to win."

Leo smiled. "Go for it! And take him down!"

Yusei smiled at him before taking off.

"I believe in you! I know you can do it!" Leo shouted.

Mandy smiled at her little brother. "C'mon, let's go."

"I invited Miss Kuso to join us like you asked, Mr. Atlas," Lazar said.

"And what was her response?" Goodwin asked.

"She said she'd rather be beaten unconcious with a frozen trout than to spend anytime with him." Lazar laughed at this. "She really does have a sense of humor."

Jack growled. "So that's how she wants to play this game then? Alright, if she won't come here, then I'll make her."

As Leo and Mandy walked down the hall, Trudge got in their way.

"Oh, hey, Trudge," Mandy greeted. "What's going on?"

"I don't want to have to do this to you, Mandy, but it's under Jacks orders. I have to take you up to the tower so you could watch the duel with him."

Mandy glared. "And I said no."

"Sorry, but I'm under orders and you're coming with me!"

Mandy crossed her arms and looked away. "I don't think so."

Trudge sighed before he walked over to the teen and grabbed her arms.

Mandy became startled at this. "Okay, okay, I'm coming with ya!" Trudge picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. "Hey! Trudge, put me down! Are you out of your mind!" She started beating his back and kicking her legs.

Akiza came down and saw the commotion. "What do you think you're doing?" She ran up to the officer and glared angrily. "Put her down this instant!"

"Sorry, but I'm ordered by Jack Atlas to take her to the tower," Trudge replied before walking past the psychic.

Akiza growled and was about to pull out her Black Rose Dragon when she heard Mandy yell, "Akiza, no!" She gave the girl a confused look. "Just go. I'll be okay." Akiza watched as Trudge took Mandy away with a sad look.

Leo had been too stunned to do anything but watch.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let's hear it for Yusei!"

Some people started cheering. Then everyone started hearing an engine running.

"What's that sound, an earthquake!" Yanagi asked in fear.

Then Greiger came out with his runner that was bigger than anything you could've ever seen.

"Will you look at that? It's the most incredible duel runner I have ever seen! It's a wop-rava chopper! It's the wheels of the wheel! Ladies and gentlemen, it's Greiger and his beast!"

Greiger rode next to Yusei and smirked.

"That's some duel runner!" Tanner said in shock. "Yusei's gonna have his work cut out for him."

"What did I miss?" Leo asked, coming up to the others.

"Just that," Luna replied. "Greigers runner."

Leo looked down at the arena and saw the runner.

"That's the runner I saw in Greigers garage! No wonder he had an alarm. That thing looks so cool."

Inside the tower, Trudge arrived with Mandy being carried onto his shoulder, who had her arms crossed and a scowl on her face.

They looked at the new comers with smiles.

"Well, well, well," Lazar said. "Look what the cat dragged in."

Trudge walked around the couch before setting Mandy down onto it.

Mandy glared at him. "I could've walked, you know."

"Sorry, but I couldn't take any chances of you running off."

Mandy scoffed at him before he left.

"Good to see that you have decided to join us, Miss Kuso," Goodwin said to the teen.

Mandy only glared. "Oh, yeah. I love being carried away by a guard and forced to come here against my will."

Jack only smirked at her sarcasm. "Oh, don't make such a fuss about it. Look, you can have a much nicer view to watch the duel now."

"It'd be even nicer if _you_ weren't in the same room!"

"As much as I enjoy your little insults towards Mr. Atlas, Miss Kuso, why don't you have a look at Greigers runner," Lazar said.

Mandy got up from the couch to the window and gasped. "Holy cow! That thing's huge!"

"Impressive, isn't it?" Lazar laughed.

"You might be a little worried for Yuseis sake at the moment, but don't worry too much, Miss Kuso," Goodwin said, grabbing the girls arm and walking her back to the couch and sitting her down. "Just sit back, relax, and enjoy the duel."

As Goodwin walked back to the window, Jack put his arm around Mandy, who scowled and pushed him away.

"You call that thing a duel runner, Yusei?" Greiger asked. "Did it come with trainig wheels for ya?"

"Just 'cause you're bigger doesn't mean you're better, Greiger," Yusei countered.

"Yeah, right. Talk to me after the duels done. Good luck, 'cause you're gonna need it."

"And now, take out your speed world field spells and let's activate 'em!"

_Duel mode engaged. Auto pilot standing by._

The arena then became green, blue, and violet.

"Remember, only the winner advances in a turbo duel, only speed spells can be used."

"Get ready to eat my dust," Greiger said.

_Countdown iniciated. Ready. Set. Duel!_

Greiger: 4000  
>Yusei: 4000<p>

"I'll make the first move, Yusei. I draw! And I think I'll start with this, Spell Reactor RE! And next I'll throw three facedowns. You're up."

"I summon out my-" before Yusei could say anymore, Greiger was right next to him.

"Now how is Yusei supposed to concentrate with three thousand decimals of horsepower blaring in his ears, huh?" Tanner said.

"Who says he can't?" Leo said.

"First, I'll throw in a facedown and then I'll summon my Speed Warrior!"

"In that case, I activate my facedown trap card, Hidden Soldiers! Now yours truly gets a level 4 monster from my hand, and I've got just the one for you. He goes by Trap Reactor Wifi, and with this card on my field, Yusei, I only need one more for a big surprise."

"I think I know what Greiger's got planned, guys," Dexter said nervously.

"Guess Yusei better rev it up, and I mean _fast!_" Tanner said.

"For the first round Speed Warrior is in the field, he get's double his attack points," Yusei as Speed Warriors attack points doubled. "Now send that Reactor back to the shop!"

With that said, Speed Warrior attacked Spell Reactor RE.

Greiger: 3500  
>Yusei: 4000<p>

However, the attack had failed as the smoke revealed that Reactor RE was not harmed.

"No way!" Yusei shouted.

"Don't tell me you're shocked," Greiger mocked. "I only had two facedowns in my field, and one of them was Fake Explosion, and not only does this trap knock down your low obtain attack, but I get a bonus. As in a level 5 monster from my hand; bringing your surprise early. Summon Reactor SK, join the party!"

_Summon Reactor SK is a monster card that inflicts 800 points of damage when your opponent summons a monster to the field._

"He's got all three Reactors in play," Cayenne said in shock.

"At least he doesn't have Delta Reactor," Alexa said.

"Now I will activate my Delta Reactor," Greiger said. "This card sends Summon Reactor, Trap Reactor, and Spell Reactor all to the graveyard. I hate to do this to you, Yusei, but like I told you last night, one of us has to lose; and today it's you!"

"Yusei, no!" Leo shouted.

"I summon Flying Fortress Skyfyre!"

Skyfyre appeared in all it's glory.

"It looks like that bad bike's not just for show! Greiger brings out his big bang beast in the second round!"

Mandy clenched her fists in anxiety at the sight of Skyfyre.

"If you thought it was loud in hear before, just get a load of this," Greiger said. "You lose 800 lpoints of damage if you ever summon a monster, or place one card facedown. And if that ever weren't enough, the card you just played will also be destroyed! Just face it, friend, you can't make a move without getting hurt. My family needs me, which means you're going to have to lose this match, Yusei!"


	22. Second Round Showdown Part 2

**Okay, people, I am this close to finishing up this story and the will continue with a sequel! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own shit**

**Read and review. Or don't. I don't care-.-**

* * *

><p>"We're going into round three of this nerve-wracking duel, and Greiger's hot on the drivers seat!"<p>

"It's my turn," Grieger said. "Flying Fortress Skyfyre, take out Yuseis Speed Warrior!"

Speed Warrior had managed to dodge Skyfyres bullets, but was destroyed by one of his wings.

Greiger: 3400  
>Yusei: 1900<p>

"Yusei has taken a lashing! He's spinning out! He's gonna- Wait, no! He's managed to gain control, but that direct attack has forced Yusei to shift gears and his game plan, as it looks like the 2100 points of damage he took cost all the speed counters he'd gained so far."

Mandy frowned. "That's not good. He'll be hard to catch up."

Jack smiled and put his arm around Mandy. "Don't worry about it so much, love. Yusei always knows how to get out of a tight spot."

Mandy glared before shoving his arm off. "Oh, _now _you decide to be _nice? _Some friend you were."

"Hah! You seem like a nice enough guy, Yusei," Greiger said, "but you've gotta fall. 'Cause I've got too much riding on this duel to risk losing it!"

"And so do I," Yusei replied, drawing a card. _'With Skyfyre on the field, he can destroy the first card I play every turn, so...' _"From my hand, I summon Shield Warrior(DEF 1600) in defense mode!"

"Too bad your warrior can't shield itself from my assault! Remember, when you play a card, that card is destroyed and then Skyfyre rains 800 points of damage from above."

Skyfyre released its missiles and destroyed Shield Warrior and damaged Yusei of 800 points.

Greiger: 3400  
>Yusei: 1100<p>

"Yusei spins out again!"

"I place one card facedown and end my turn."

"Greiger is seriously wiping the track with Yusei! The kid's got no speed counters, no monsters on his field. If Greiger hits him with another direct attack, Yusei's Fortune Cup will be over."

"He's done," Leo said. "Greiger's got him to a point where he can't summon a monster without it getting obliterated right away. Man, Greiger won't quit, he's just a hulking tower of ruthlessness!"

"You didn't notice that when you were dueling him?" Luna said.

"Leo was just too excited to be dueling in the tournament to notice things like his opponent," Yanagi said.

"I wouldn't put this duel in the books just yet," Tanner said. "Yusei can win this."

"He can?"

"You betcha. Now, what do we know about this Flying Fortress Skyfyre of Greigers?"

"Well, we know it's big; we know it's loud; we know it's powerful; and we know that, once a turn, it destroys a card of Yuseis the second he plays it," Dexter answered.

"And as soon as Greiger destroyed Shield Warrior, Yusei plays a card facedown."

Alexa smiled. "I get it! You're thinking the summoning of Shield Warrior was a diversion! His real goal was that facedown!"

Tanner nodded. "I'll bet you a corndog that that facedown is a game changer, like Mirror Force."

_'Two facedowns won't be enough,' _Mandy thought bitterly. _'Please be careful, Yusei...'_

Jack noticed how nervous Mandy was and put his arm around her. "Just relax, Mandy, Yusei'll win this..." As much as she wanted to shove Jack away, she was too worried about Yusei to do it.

"It's my turn," Greiger said, drawing a card. _'And I'm sure one of his facedowns could turn the tables. So I'm gonna have to turn 'em first! Yusei, you're a very skillful duelist, but so am I. You might think your facedowns are safe, but you better think again because I've got it all figured out. I know you're fighting to help your friends, but I can't let you stop me from completing my mission and that's why I'm willing to risk any chances you have of winning this duel. But I know this won't be an easy task to accomplish, so don't expect me to pull any punches. 'Cause I plan on using every card in my deck to make sure that **I'm **the one taking the victory lap!' _"Here I come!" Greiger revved up his gear and started speeding behind Yusei. "Behind you, Yusei! Get ready for a direct assault!"

"That's what I was hoping for!" Yusei shouted.

"But why?!"

"So I could play Wasteland Tornado! Now I can use this card to lay waste on one trap card, and the card I'm destroying is Limiter Break!"

"Why are you destroying your own card!?"

"'Cause this cards destruction gives me the power to summon Speed Warrior from my graveyard. And with a monster in defense mode, I won't take any damage."

Once Speed Warrior appeared from the graveyard, he took the hit for Yusei.

"You may have dodged my assault, but you still managed to rid you of one of your facedown cards, and I didn't have to get rid of any of my own cards to do it."

_'This guy's not messing around,' _ Yusei thought. _'He figured out my gameplan!'_

"Tanner, he didn't play Mirror Force," Cayenne said. "Where's Alexas corndog?"

"Well, we never shook," Tanner replied.

"I place one card facedown and end my turn," Greiger said.

Mandy clenched her hands into fists.

"It's my move," Yusei shouted, drawing a card. As he saw that it was Turbo-booster, he couldn't help but think of Ralley. "Ralley... From my hand, I summon Massive Warrior (ATK 600) in attack mode."

"With another monster summoned, another monster gets leveled, and another 800 points of damage is coming your way due to my Skyfyres special ability!"

Skyfyre shot out his missiles and they flew toward Yusei. Massive Warrior was able to block the attack, but the third missile was able to get him from behind

Greiger: 3400  
>Yusei: 300<p>

"Whoa! Greiger has lapped Yusei!"

"I'm playing the speed spell, Zero Reverse!"

_Zero Reverse allows you to summon a monster that was destroyed by an effect this turn. However, this monsters attack points become zero._

"And now I resummon Massive Warrior(ATK 0)!"

"Why would he summon a monster that can't attack?" Greiger asked.

"Remember we've got something in common, Greiger," Yusei replied. "We're both out for our own, and if I plan on winning this battle, I'll need my friends to get me to the finish line." Mandy couldn't help but smile. "This is for you, Ralley! And the rest of my pals! I summon Turbo-booster(ATK 0) in attack mode! Now, Massive Warrior, Attack Greigers Skyfyre!"

"You're just sending your monster to its doom!"

"Not with Turbo-boosters special ability! You see, by releasing this card, I can take down a monster of yours as long as it's fighting against one of mine."

"But because of the battle, I'm still able to win this duel."

"I don't think so! Massive Warrior can make my battle damage become zero!"

"Huh?"

"I release Turbo-booster!"

Massive Warrior jumped up from Turbo-booster and crashed through Skyfyre, causing it to explode.

"Whoa! Talk about a comeback! Yusei has blasted Greigers Skyfyre outta the sky!"

Greiger gasped as Skyfyre fell to the ground and screamed when it exploded.

"Incredible! Yusei has destroyed Greiger Skyfyre! Oh, the humanity!"

Mandy sighed in relief, but she still felt anxious about the duel.

"You may have grounded my air assault, but let's see you handle my Chariot Pile trap card!"

Once Greiger used the card, spikes began to pop out from his wheels. Mandy gasped at the sight.

"You won't defeat me, Yusei. There's too much at stake here!"

Once that was said, he couldn't help but recall the memory of the message Mandy had given to him, telling him to break into Goodwins office and see the destruction of his village for himself and that she was sorry. From her message, he was able to discover that Goodwin was responsible for the destruction and he had cried bitter tears.

"I respect you as duelist, Yusei, but I have something I must do. And you're just a road block standing in my way! Chariot Piles attack activates, so once a turn, my chariot can hit you for 800 points of damage. Looks like your lifepoints are about to get speared, Yusei. There's no way you can outrun my attack."

"Maybe, but I can certainly maneuver it by sacrificing my Massive Warrior!" Massive Warrior blocked the attack that was intended for Yusei.

"Hmph, you can try to defend yourself all you want, but you're only delaying your own defeat."

_'Greiger, I'm sorry...,'_ Mandy thought bitterly.

"It's my move," Yusei said. _'And if I don't pull this combo off, I'm done for.' _"I summon to the field Junk Synchron(ATK 1300). And because I successfully summoned it out, I can also summon a monster out directly from my graveyard. So I resummon Speed Warrior, and because Speed Warrior is now on the field I can deliver a little tune up."

"That won't help you, Yusei," Greiger said.

As Greiger said this, Speed Warrior started tuning in with Junk Synchron.

"Junk Warrior(ATK 2300), let's rev it up! Send his lifepoints to the junk pile! Go, Scrapfist!"

"Not good enough, Yusei! I'm afraid that Chariot Pile has another effect! When your monster attacks me directly, I can sacrifice 800 lifepoints to deflect your monsters attack and destroy your monster."

"Man, Yusei just can't seem to keep a monster in the field," ALexa said.

"I play one card facedown and end my turn."

"It's my move and I summon Black Salvo(ATK 100)!"

_When you summon the tutor monster, Black Salvo, you can also summon one level 4 dark attribute monster from your graveyard in defense mode._

"So with the power of my Black Salvo, I'm bringing back my Trap Reactor Wi-Fi, and now I tune my Black Salvo with my level 4 Trap Reactor Wi-Fi!"

"A synchro summon?!"

"You're surprised? You're not the only duelist who uses synchro monsters. I give you Dark Strike Fighter(ATK 2600)! And now it's going to attack you directly!"

"Not if I activate my trap card, Synchro Spirits! By removing a synchro monster in my graveyard from play, I can bring back the monsters that were originally needed to summon it. So I'm taking Junk Warrior outs the duel! Now Junk Synchron and Speed Warrior can return to the field!"

As Junk Synchron and Speed Warrior returned, the tutor monster blocked Dark Strikes attack and survived.

"How did he survive that attack?!"

"By taking Shield Warrior from my graveyard and removing it from play, I negate all battle damage."

"Then I think I'll activate Chariot Piles effect. The only way for you to negate this damage is to sacrifice your other monster."

"Well, then that's exactly what I'm gonna do." Speed Warrior grabbed the spikes, but was then destroyed.

"You've got an answer to everything I throw your way, don't you? Well, let's see what you'll about the Ultimate Flare trap card, which allows me to summon and Ultimate Flare token(DEF 0)."

"Anyone know what that does?" Leo asked.

"Well, lets just say that Yusei's about to get knocked around for 800 points of damage," Tanner said.

"And on top of that, Greiger's able to do damage on 200 times of the released monster. And-" Dexter was about to continue when Tanner cut in

"And Ultimate Flare token is a level 10."

"That means uh..." Leo started counting on his fingers when Luna spoke.

"10 times 100 comes out to 2000 points of damage."

"2000!" Yanagi and Leo yelled.

"I'm afraid your fate has been sealed, Yusei. There's nothing you can do to win this turbo-duel now! On my next turn, you're finished!"

"Things are looking helpless for Yusei. He's holding no cards in his hand. Whatever monster's next on the field, everything depends on his next draw."

"Let's do this!" Yusei yelled. "This should get me where I wanna go. I summon Tuning Supporter(ATK 100) in attack mode! Next, I tune my Junk Synchron with my Tuning Supporter. I synchro summon Armory Arm(ATK 1800)!"

"You're grasping at straws, Yusei," Greiger shouted. "That monster can't defeat my Dark Strike Fighter!"

"Maybe not, but when Tuning Supporter is used to synchro summon, it allows to draw another card my deck."

"Yusei has enabled himself to squeeze some more life out of his deck!"

Mandy held her hands to her mouth in prayer. _'Please let it be the card he needs. Yusei has to win this. I know he can win this duel...'_

_'It all comes down to this,' _Yusei thought. _'If I don't draw the card I need, I'm finished!' _Once he turned over the card, he smiled as he saw what he needed.

Mandy smiled as her prayer was heard.

"I activate the Synchro Return speed spell card! And as long as I have five or more speed counters, I can use this spell to summon a monster that I removed form play earlier in the duel. So say hello again to my Junk Warrior! Next I activate Armory Arms special ability!"

"What?!"

"Now my Junk Warrior 1000 more attack points! And with that boost, my Junk Warrior's more powerful than your Dark Strike Fighter, so you know what's next. Junk Warrior, attack!"

Junk Warrior had destroyed Dark Strike Fighter without any problems.

Greiger: 1900  
>Yusei: 300<p>

"And next I activate Armory Arms special ability, and that means that this duel is over. You said that one of was gonna have to lose today, and it looks like that someone is _you_."

"Impossible!"

A giant hand reached out to Greiger grabbed him, causing him to lose his lifepoints.

Greiger: 0  
>Yusei: 300<p>

As Grieger began spinning out, he flew off of his runner.

Mandy sighed in relief. _'He did it. Thank goodness...' _Although the thought pleased her, she noticed that spikes hadn't vanished. "Are those things...?" She then gasped.

"That's it, people. After six rounds of white-knuckle action, this duel has roared to a close with a stunning finale. Satelites shooting star has managed to whip up a combo from behind. Take a victory lap, Yusei."

Yusei rode up to Greiger in concern. "Greiger, are you okay?"

"C'mon, Yusei. Give us a-"

"Yusei, I'm fine," Greiger said, having his own microphone on, "but it's not over."

Mandy blinked in shock.

"I was hoping to do this differently, but if it needs to be like this, so be it."

Yusei became confused.

"I told you and Mandy about my village, Yusei. I told you about the fire and destruction, but I have learned the truth. Goodwin isn't going to help me rebuild my village like he promised. How could he when it isn't even there anymore."

"What do you mean?" Yusei asked.

Mandy was close to tears as she knew what Greiger was talking about.

"Look! That was my village, before Goodwin came along!"

"How is he doing that?" Lazar asked in anger. "Someone turn off that sphere!"

Mandy's tears were getting the better of her as her eyes stung.

"Let him have his moment," Goodwin said, making Lazar confused.

"I hacked into Goodwins personal files before the duel and discovered it wasn't a natural disaster. Goodwin came along and decided to use our valley as a little testing ground. He tried to resurrect his precious Crimson Dragon, but he couldn't control the energy. It was too powerful, and then..." Mandy shut her eyes tightly as the village suddenly vanished. "The village is gone! Everyone who lived there, all gone! Vanished! Nowhere to be found!"

Mandy couldn't take it anymore. She quickly got up and started to leave.

"Uh, Mandy, where are you going?" Jack asked, getting up and walking after her.

"Thank you, Mandy," she heard Greiger say, making her stop and giving Jack the opportunity to walk in front of her. "If it wasn't for your message, I never would've learned the truth. You truly are a saint."

Mandy looked at Greiger as she allowed a tear to escape her eye.

"Now Goodwin's going to answer for all his lies!"

Greiger got onto his runner and zipped past Yusei.

"Greiger!"

"Now that the world knows what you did, it's time for you to pay! For my friends, my family, _my home! _Your Ivory Tower is about to come tumbling down, Goodwin!"

Yusei gasped as he saw that Mandy was in the tower and raced after him. "Greiger, no! Mandy's up there!"

As the both shot into the air, Yusei crashed into Greiger.

"Yusei!"

Then suddenly the spike broke and flew up to the tower. Mandy and Jack gasped in shock before he pulled her to him for safety as the spike crashed through the window. Lazar ducked, but Goodwin was somehow able to grab the spike as it continued to turn. Jack and Mandy watched in shock.

"How are you doing that?" Jack asked as Mandy only stared.

Once both duelists crashed landed, Greiger ran to Yusei in rage. "Yusei, how could you?! I had him!"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry that Goodwin lied and used you, but listen. Going after him won't solve anything or get you your answers, and Mandy could've gotten hurt."

Greiger growled as his eyes filled with tears. "What do I do?!"

"You trust me to figure things out."

Greiger only screamed at the top of his lungs. "GOODWIN!"

Goodwin looked down upon them as he dropped the spike and revealed his metal arm.


	23. Dueling Minds

**For those of you who cannot wait for Mandy's next duel, I can honestly say that I can't for it either; and I'm the one writing this shizz. Well, anyway**

**Disclaimer: You should already know that I own nothing**

**Read and review. Or don't. I don't care-.-**

* * *

><p>Mandy stared at Goodwins mechanical arm in shock. How on earth did he have a metal arm without anyone ever noticing? She remembered that he always wore his gloves, which was obviously how he hid his arm.<p>

She watched as several screens of Goodwins face scattered around the arena.

"People of New Domino City," he began, "it's always a terrible tragedy when a gifted duelist, like our very own Greiger, suffers a complete nervous and emotional breakdown over such an intense duel." Mandy and Jack stared at the metal arm that Goodwin hid behind his back as he talked. The blonde male had lightly pulled her down to the couch as Goodwin began talking. "But rest assured, he'll get all the help he needs."

Mandy clenched her hands into tight fists in anger as the people began cheering. Jack noticed and rubbed her arms to calm her down, which surprisingly worked.

Goodwin smiled as he put on a neat glove to replace the torn one. "In case you're wondering about my arm, I was in an unfortunate accident several years ago." His smile turned into a frown as his attention turned to the dark haired teenager. "So you were the one who told Greiger to break into my office?"

Mandy glared. "He needed to know the truth. I couldn't just let you use him like that. I know what you're up to, Goodwin, and I'm going to put a stop to it."

"I'm afraid that you don't have the right to interfere with my plans, Miss Kuso. Our next duelist will determine if your friend, the Black Rose, is a signer."

Mandy got up from the couch in fury. "You keep your filthy paws off my friend!"

As she ran to throw a punch at Goodwin, he used his gloved metal hand to grab Mandy's throat and lift her into the air. As she choked out for air, he brought her closer to him with a heated glare.

"Now you listen to me, Miss Kuso. I don't want any of your nonsense interfering with my plans. I was trying to find a way to save this world from darkness by going to that village and resurrecting the Crimson Dragon. It was an unfortunate accident when I lost control of the energy."

Mandy choked out, "But there were innocent people in that village, *gasp* who didn't do anything!"

Jack watched in shock as Goodwin tightened his grip around her throat, and she struggled to claw his hand off of her.

"If you don't want anyone to get hurt, I suggest you keep your worthless meddling to yourself, Miss Kuso. Unless you want something awful to happen to your family?"

The teens eyes widened in fear as coughed. "Please, *cough* don't hurt them..."

Goodwin sneered. "Keep your mouth shut, and no harm shall come to them." With that, he released his grip and Mandy fell to floor.

As she struggled to get up, she held her hand to her throat and coughed violently. Jack came to her side and glared at the old man.

"What did you do that for?" he asked angrily. "You nearly choked her to death!"

Goodwin said nothing and put his arms behind his back.

"Come on, love, let me help you."

Mandy strangely accepted Jacks help as he pulled her up to a standing position and she leaned onto him for support.

"Can... can I just go down there for a minute?" she struggled to ask. "I just want to congratulate Yusei and wish Akiza luck."

Goodwin nodded. "Take as much time as you need."

Mandy nodded before she started walking to the elevator.

As Yusei walked down the halls past Akiza, they both spotted Mandy coming towards them. Both duelists smiled, but they faded when they saw how weak she was.

"You okay, Mandy?" Yusei asked worriedly.

Mandy gave him a weak smile. "I'm fine. Congratulations on your win, Yusei..."

He nodded to her in thanks, but became shocked at the sight of a large bruise that formed around her neck. Akiza gasped in shock before running over to the girl and grabbing her shoulders.

"Mandy, what happened to you?" she asked in worry.

Mandy was confused until Akiza lightly touched her bruise and she winced in pain.

"It's nothing," Mandy replied, bringing her hand to her neck.

Akiza only got angry. "Who did this to you?" Mandy struggled to find the right words. "It was Goodwin, wasn't it? I swear I'll make him pay for this!"

"Akiza, no! If you do anything, you'll...!" The teens eyes stung with tears as she was close to saying what would happen to her. "Just... don't do anything stupid, okay?"

Akizas expression softened at the sight of Mandy's tears, and she brought the girl into a hug. Yusei watched in worry for the girl. Was Akiza right? Was Goodwin the one who gave Mandy that bruise? From the looks of it, Mandy didn't seem like she was in a position to talk about it.

"Good luck, Akiza," Mandy mumbled in the magenta haired girls shoulder. "I'm rooting for you."

Akiza nodded before she released the girl and left to her duel. Yusei stared at Mandy's bruise as she brought her hand to it.

"I better get back to the tower," she mumbled.

"You want me to take you there?" he asked in concern.

She nodded and they both walked to the elevator in silence. He wiped away her tears when they reached their ending point and they stared into each others eyes. Yusei leaned forward towards her face when Lazar interrupted them with a cough.

"I'll take it from here now, Mr. Fudo," he said.

Mandy nodded to him before waving to Yusei and walking inside the elevator.

"Once we get back up, we're going to need to tend to that wound of yours, Miss Kuso."

Mandy said nothing to the short man, but nodded in response. Once the elevator stopped, the doors opened and Mandy walked back to the couch to sit next to Jack.

"There should be a first aid kit around here somewhere..."

Jack ignored the clown as he kept his attention toward Mandy.

"Mandy...," he said softly.

The girl looked to see his smug face, but was surprised when he only showed a look of concern. He brought his hand up to touch her bruise, but hesitated for fear of hurting her. Mandy sat up a little straighter and allowed him to lightly brush his fingers over her wounded neck. In her opinion, it was shocking to see that Jack Atlas had a soft side.

Lazar came around the couch to hand the girl the first aid kit, and she took it and nodded to him in thanks before he left them alone. She opened it up to grab a bandage, but Jack stopped her.

"Let me do it."

He took the long bandage and began to lightly wrap it around her neck. She was so surprised at this gesture of kindness that she felt like she couldn't do anything to stop him, but some part of her was a little thankful that he actually wanted to help her.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to our second duel of our second round of the Fortune Cup! Now entering the arena, the dueling detective, Commander Koda! And his opponent, the magician with the moves; the (some word that I didn't understand) with a plan; the Black Rose!"

"The w-witch is back!"

"I'm going to the bathroom. Don't take my seat!"

"Get ready to duel!"

"Last time she dueled, she almost blew this building down," Leo said.

"I know, but I'm not scared," Dexter remarked. "In fact, it'd be great if that happened. I haven't done one ounce of homework all week long."

"Hah, I haven't done a day of work my whole life!" Yanagi said smugly. "And look, I turned out perfect!"

Alexa rolled her eyes. "Yeah, the record of being arrested so many times really shows that you are a masterpiece."

Jack finished patching Mandy up before he lightly patted her neck.

"There now, love. Good as new," he said with a grin.

Mandy brought her hand to her bandaged neck before nodding to him in thanks.

"Let's get this match started!"

Both duelists activated their duel disks.

"Let's do this!"

Commander Koda: 4000  
>Akiza: 4000<p>

"I hope you don't mind," Akiza said menacingly, "but ladies first! I summon Violet Witch(ATK 1100), and next I'll be casting the field spell, Black Garden, that's in my hand."

Koda smirked as Black Garden began to take its form around the field.

"Well will you look at that," he said. "It seems our Black Rose happens to have a green thumb, doesn't she?"

Mandy felt weak as her eyes began to sting, but she felt no pain.

"I play a facedown. It's your turn."

"The Black Rose is growing strong with her garden field spell. Will the Commander prune or be pricked?"

"Not a bad move," Koda said, drawing a card, "but entirely predictable. See I've been studying you, Black Rose. I know your every card, your every move. Your past is a crime scene, and I'm just following the clues before I bring you down. For now, I'll just play this and end my turn."

"One card? But he's dueling a witch! He'll never win by playing that?"

"Tell the man with the mice he better think again! This girl is no witch, she has the power of telekinesis, which means she can move objects with her mind! But that doesn't mean you're above the law! If you think you have power, wait 'til you see what justice has in store for you. Especially for kidnapping Mandy Kuso."

"He's performing well, don't you think?" Goodwin asked with a sinister smile.

"Did you tell Jack that the Commander is best top profiler the Facility has?" Lazar asked. "He's famous for uncovering the truth, and now that he's dueling we expect a similar result."

As Lazar chuckled, Jack looked to the exhausted girl next to him and had her lean onto him.

"It's my turn," Akiza said. "I draw. Violet Witch, attack the Commander directly!"

Violet Witch pointed her staff and shot orange lightning at the Commander.

Commander Koda: 2900  
>Akiza: 4000<p>

"The Commander is down! Witch or not, the Black Roses attacks still pack a real punch!"

Koda didn't bothered by the pain. "Feels just like it did last time, Akiza. During our match at Duel Academy!"

Akiza gasped. "Huh?!"

Mandy was overly shocked by this, but she was too weak to react.

"I've never forgotten. I was a third year Abolisque Blue (**A/N **Can someone tell me if I spelt that wrong?), I was set to turn pro. Then this new girl, a Slypher Red, walks up and challenges me! Your psychic powers destroyed my deck, and almost me along with it. I left pro dueling to study the criminal mind. I've tracked down the most dangerous duelists in New Domino City, but I was saving _you _ for last. And thanks to Goodwin, I've got just the card for my vengeance!"

_'But I was just a child then,' _Akiza thought bitterly. _'I couldn't control my psychic powers.'_

"I know you. You think you're better than everyone else. Look at me, I'm Akiza the telekinetic. Well, guess what! It's time for justice! I play my facedown trap card, Crime and Punishment. It activated as soon as you attacked me, and now your monster's completely destroyed!"

As the Crime and Punishment card glowed, Violet Witch was destroyed.

"You've just activated her special ability!" Akiza said. "If Violet Witch is sent to the graveyard, I get to draw a plant type monster from my deck and add it to my hand. It serves you right for confusing justice with revenge. I release, Venusian Cluster Amaryllis!"

Koda smirked. "Akiza, justice is revenge, and your punishment's just beginning. Remember my Crime and Punishment trap card? Well, it's other effect is that it automatically summons another monster from my hand. My Agent of Hatred(DEF 0), you can think of us as good cop and bad cop."

The vines of Black Garden wrapped around the monster and it's attack points was zero.

"You wanna play in my garden? You've gotta pay the price! My field spell cuts your monsters attack points in half."

"Not a bad counter effect. It's too bad that it doesn't have any attack points for you to take away. I know your deck and how to get around your little tricks."

"Well, then you must've seen this coming, didn't you? Because you summoned Agent of Hatred, I get to summons my own Rose token! It can't attack, but it can't be destroyed in battle either. So I guess that leaves us both with two monsters that aren't really good for anything."

"You're wrong again. Hah, I didn't summon my Agent to attack, but use to its special ability. So each round, I recover the lifepoints I lost during one of my battles, and that's something your telekinetic powers can't undo. Looks like the rose has lost her thorns."

Commander Koda: 4000  
>Akiza: 4000<p>

"How can he lose if he keeps getting his lifepoints back?" Leo wondered.

"Uh, maybe he can't," Yanagi said.

Mandy fought hard as she began to grow weaker, and Jack kept her close to him in worry.

"I'm summoning Venusian Seed(DEF 0) to the field in defense mode! Your last move gave me the idea to play this! See it doesn't have any attack points to cut in half either, but a Rose token is still summoned; and because I summoned the monster, it's going to appear on your side of the field! Now I activate my Rose Flame trap card!"

_The trap card, Rose Flame, deals 500 points of damage to your opponent whenever a plant type monster is summoned to their field._

"Now let's see your good cop, bad cop routine try and hand-cuff this sweet smelling maneuver of mine!"

Flaming rose petals shot out from the card and the Commander was in even more pain than before.

Commander Koda: 3500  
>Akiza: 4000<p>

He knelt down in exhaustion. "Not bad. I read that combo the first time you used it when you were five years old."

Akiza became both shocked and confused.

"It was your very first duel, when you learned about your curse! Your power was uncontrollable, you couldn't stop; you were a danger to yourself and to others. Then your parents sent you away for help." Koda struggled to get up as he continued. "Yet you refused to give up the power that was inside you!"

Akiza became angry. "I'm learning to control it! I want to use it so that I can help people!"

"What? Like you did when you tried to 'help' Mandy Kuso? Tell me, Akiza, how is kidnapping her helping her at all?"

"You don't understand! Mandy's in grave danger, she has to be protected!"

"From what? She was already in danger when you abducted her, so the only thing she truly needs to be protected from is people like you!"

"I was trying to protect her!"

"It's... true...," Mandy said weakly. "She was... just..."

"Don't try to talk, love," Jack warned.

"Protect her? You've caused nothing but destruction and pain, including my own! You don't care who your power hurts!"

"It's not my fault!"

"Please... don't..."

Jack squeezed the teen against him in worry.

"Incompetence like ignorance is no excuse, Akiza."

"But I'm not looking for excuses."

"Once this duel is over, I know that you'll thank me for this. My job is to make sure that society is safe, and I don't plan on letting society down. I'm going to send you to a special facility to cure you of your afflictions whether you like it or not! And now, to cure you. I activate Mind Monster. Just think of it as a guessing game. I choose any monster I want, and if you happen to have it, then you lose half its attack points. And if all my research is right, you've got Black Rose Dragon!"

"Huh?!"

"And I hope you've learned by now that my research is always right. Now I'll be giving you a taste of your own medicine, Akiza! Black Rose Dragon has 2400 attack points, which means you take 1200 points in damage. If you play with fire, you're gonna get burned!"

The monster that turned into Black Rose Dragon attacked Akiza, which dealt with 1200 points of damage.

Commander Koda: 3500  
>Akiza: 2800<p>

"And Commander responds with a first attack against the Black Rose!"

"How about that! 1200 points of damage and I didn't need to use any psychic powers. Unlike your _spells, _I don't need to cheat. Now I switch my Rose token(DEF 800) to defense mode and end my turn."

"You'll wish you never called me a cheat!" _'No one understands. I just want a normal life, but I can't have one. Destruction always followed me, and the more I ran, the more people I hurt. My only choice was to keep dueling and hope that I could find someone who could help me. And I did! Sayer gave me strength, but Mandy... she gave me something else.'_

_I like you the way you are, Akiza._

_'She gave me her trust. She became the first real friend I ever had. She accepted me for what I am. That's why she needs me!'_

"Akiza, what're you trying to do? Contact your psychic friends? Well, they can't help you. You are all mine!"

Mandy flinched as she felt her eyes burning, and Jack held her close.

"If what the commander said is true, and Akiza has gifted friends, she may even more useful than we thought," Lazar said. "There's rumors of a psychic society. If Akiza's in it, she could lead us into even greater power!"

"You leave her alone!" Mandy screamed. However, her scream only caused her more pain as her eyes turned crimson, but she kept them closed so that no one could see.

"You may know about my friends and my deck, but you don't know what's really inside me. You cannot profile someone's heart! And while that's sinking in, I'm activating this! Venusian Seeds special ability! By sending this card straight to my graveyard, I can summon another Venusian monster directly from my hand. Cluster Amaryllis(ATK 2200-1100)!"

"The Black Roses new monster sprouts to the field, but it won't escape her Black Garden field spell. Amaryllis loses half its power, and the Commander get a new Rose token. And you know what that means. The Rose Flame instantly activates. Is it me, or is it getting hot in here?"

Rose Flame attacked the Commander, and his wounds became far greater than before.

Commander Koda: 3000  
>Akiza: 2800<p>

"Commander, I don't need psychic powers to tell me what to do next! Amaryllis, attack his Rose token!"

Amaryllis opened its eyes and shot some seeds to destroy the Rose token.

Commander Koda: 2700  
>Akiza: 2800<p>

"Amaryllis is automatically destroyed, but its special ability activates. I'm sure you know what happens now. The card goes to the graveyard, and you take 800 points of damage. Now surely your research should've told you this was coming."

Seeds began pouring down harshly, making the Commander get down on his knees in pain.

Commander Koda: 1900  
>Akiza: 2800<p>

"It'll take a lot more than wilting flowers to beat me." He fell to the ground in exhaustion.

"Don't forget, due to the Commanders Agent of Hatred, he gets back the points he lost this round."

Commander Koda: 2200  
>Akiza: 2800<p>

"You will not defeat me, Akiza," Koda said, his vision blurring. "No matter how many times you attack, I won't rest until I make sure you never hurt anyone again. Once I win, you're going to that special facility, and once your there, they will dispatch you of your power."

"Well, I don't plan on losing today," Akiza replied. "Now I play a facedown, but don't draw just yet, because I can resummon Venusian Amaryllis from my graveyard in defense mode."

"Black Rose gets her monster back, but the field spell gives the Commander another Rose token."

"Which means my trap gets activated once again!"

"Ouch! It's another fiery finish from the Black Rose!"

Commander Koda: 1700  
>Akiza: 2800<p>

"You're asking for it, Akiza, and now you're about to get it! I knew you'd fill my field with Rose tokens. It's what I wanted! Now I can sacrifice them to summon my own monster, the Mad Profiler(ATK 2600)!"

_Mad Profilers special ability allows you to send one card from your hand to the graveyard remove the same type of card from the field from play._

"I'm sure you've noticed the professional resemblance, since we're in the same business to make sure that you never hold a dueling deck again."

"What a move, but that doesn't mean the Mad Profiler can escape Black Roses field spell. But this time, the token's on Akizas side of the field."

_'You're doing everything I knew you would, Akiza,' _Koda thought. _'I got a little singed in the process, but vengeance is mine!' _"Now, I'll tap into my Mad Profilers special ability. So by sending a spell card to the graveyard, I can remove any other spell card from the game, and I've got just the one in mind."

Mad Profiler tap on a card and made it disappear. In doing so, the Black Garden field spell also vanished.

"The Black Garden field spell' gone," Alexa said in shock.

"That means their monsters attack go back to the other half," Cayenne remarked.

"My Profiler can work with more than just spells, I can send a monster card to the graveyard to destroy anyone of your monsters." Profiler made a card disappear and Cluster Amaryllis was destroyed. "Hah! That evens things up! Now, what do you say we battle. Mad Profiler, attack! Take out her Rose token with Mad Dash Destruction!"

Mad Profiler sprinted out of his chair and dashed up to destroy the Rose token.

Commander Koda: 2200  
>Akiza: 1000<p>

"Now that that token is out of the way, I think it's time for me to end this duel and put you away for good!"

"The Black Rose can't keep this up for long," Lazar said. "It's just a matter of time before the Commander pushes this girl to her limits and activate her Signer power."

"And now I play my equip spell, and it goes by the name Destruction Insurance!"

Mandy had her hands cover her crimson eyes and she peeked through her fingers.

_'Please, don't. You don't know her like I do,' _she pleaded in her mind.

"Now I activate a second equip spell, Light Glow Protection!"

_'No, Akiza will win. I just know it...'_

"And now it's my turn! And I summon Black Rose Knight(ATK 1000)! My combo won't be a surprise. After all, aren't you the profiler who spent the last few years studying me? Instead of offering to help, you treat me like a monster! So all I can do answer with a monster of my own. I combine my Black Rose Knight with two Rose tokens to synchro summon Black Rose Dragon!"

Mandy's eyes felt as if they were on fire and she whimpered in pain. Jack saw through her fingers that her eyes were glowing red.

"There is nothing you can do that will surprise me. I know your each and every move. Just face it, Black Rose, you can't win!"

The pin in Akizas hair fell out and her long bangs flowed across her face.

"It's not about winning. It's about finding your place in the world, and I know where I belong. I'm through hiding behind the mask! I'm going to show everyone my true powers and win this duel! And I'm going to stay by Mandy's side, because she needs me!"

"Needs you? I think it's the other way around. The truth is that you need _her _ a lot more than she needs you! So good luck, because as long as I got my equip spells and line up of monsters, I'm untouchable!"

"The Commander's right. Psychic? Witch? It doesn't matter. The Black Rose can't get to him. What will she do?"

"I activate Black Rose Dragons special ability. If I can take a plant type monster from my graveyard, and remove it from play, then your monsters attack points go to zero!"

Black Rose Dragons vines wrapped themselves around the Mad Profiler, whose attack points went to zero.

"That's what I was hoping for! Now my equip spell activates! And because you used Black Rose Dragons special ability, my Light Glow Protection automatically destroys it!"

As Black Rose Dragon was destroyed, Akizas mark glowed onto her arm, which revealed to be another dragons claw.

"She's a Signer," Jack said as he held Mandy close.

"Excellent," Lazar said. "Three down and only two more to go."

"A nice spell, but I still have my trap card, Rose Curse! You spent so much studying my past that never stopped to look at the person I've become, and because of that your lifepoints are going to suffer for your narrow mindedness. My Rose Curse is a new card, one that you can never profile! I'm sorry, but you brought this upon yourself!"

The Rose Curse blew out a tornado of rose petals and circled around the commander, who screamed in terror as the ground lifted up and took his lifepoints.

Commander Koda: 0  
>Akiza: 1000<p>

"It's over! The Black Rose is our winner!"

"I didn't see that coming," Koda said in pain.

Jack looked down at the teen in his arms as her arms went limp from exhaustion.

"You feeling better now, love?" he asked.

Mandy looked up at him and her eyes were back to their hazel color. "Yes, Jack. Thank you..."


	24. Pain From a Childhood Memory

**Here it is! Mandy's next duel! Let this be warned to you that there is going to be a lot of drama in this, so no crying! Please, I hear enough crying at home -.-**

**Disclaimer: You all know the deal**

**Read and review. Or don't. I don't care-.-**

* * *

><p>Mandy walked down the halls as she spotted Akiza and ran into her arms. Akiza returned the embrace in guilt.<p>

"I'm so sorry you had to see that," she whispered.

"No, it's ok," Mandy replied. "Commander Koda doesn't know anything about a human heart, and that's exactly what you have."

Yusei walked in on them as they released each other. Akiza gripped her arm as Yusei gripped his.

"These marks," he began, "why are you so afraid of them? You freaked out when you saw mine."

"This mark brings nothing but pain," she replied. "There's no good in having another one around."

"What about Mandy's eyes."

"That is different. Her eyes are meant for something else..."

Mandy looked between the two them before she potted a man with maroon colored hair.

"Miss Kuso, it's a pleasure to meet you," he greeted. "My name is Sayer, and I am of the Arcadia Movement. Would you please come with me to discuss your new 'talent'?"

Mandy looked to Akiza because she knew what he meant by 'talent'. Akiza nodded before grabbing her handing and they both followed Sayer. Yusei became worried, but Mandy turned and gave him an assuring smile.

As they came into two rv's, they entered a room that looked like a check up room for doctors offices and Mandy sat down on the table.

"So, Akiza here tells me that you possess the eyes," Sayer began, sitting down. "Is that right?"

Mandy nodded. "Yes..."

"Tell me, how are you adjusting to them, my dear?"

"They burned the first time I got them, but now with all this energy in the air, I think the pain from the energy triggering them is getting even worse."

"It'll do that from time to time. It's going to take a while longer for you to adjust to them properly." Sayer decided to change the subject. "Do you know that you are dueling against Titus Yamaguchi?"

"Yes."

"Do you know that he is a telepath?"

Mandy looked at him in shock. "How did you know?"

"Because he is a part of the Arcadia Movement."

"For how long?"

"He's been with us for no longer than six years. I believe it was the day that he left you behind without saying goodbye to you."

Akiza had become confused at this new information.

"Are you eager and ready to see him again?"

Mandy frowned. "As ready as I'll ever be."

"Good. You can wait here until your duel with him is up. And I hope that you won't stay true to your family name once you face him." With that said, he got up and left the two girls alone.

Akiza looked at the younger in confusion. "What does he mean by that?"

Mandy had looked down at the ground. "You ever wondered why my last name was so strange?"

"Well, yes, but what does that have to do with it?"

Mandy started kicking her legs a little. "It's an old story, but I guess it could be worth telling if it'll help you understand." Akiza sat down next to her as she began. "A long time ago, my family on my fathers side was framed for summoning demons into the world, thanks to the priests and priestesses of an enemy family. This had lead my ancestors to be cursed to live in damnation for all eternity. That is why my family name is the way it is. Damned."

Akiza looked down in sadness. "So your family was never cleared? I guess that must have been hard for you when you learned it yourself."

"Not really?" Akiza looked at her to see her smile slightly. "Because over time, we've learned to accept that that was our fate. If we couldn't clear our name, then we might as well just accept that it is the way it is. You know what I mean? Besides, the enemy family had covered their tracks well, so there was really little we could do about it."

Kittybat crawled onto Mandy's lap and purred as she stroked her fur. "Isn't that right, Kitty?" Kittybat only mewed in response.

"Kittybat?" Akiza asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Oh, yeah. I can see duel monster spirits. It runs in the family. So if I ever get married some day, my kids are gonna have that ability too."

Akiza smiled at her before they both got up from the table and began walking. Akiza gave Mandy her duel disk before she ran off.

"Wish me luck!"

Akiza waved to her as she smiled, but frowned. Why hadn't Titus told her that he knew Mandy? More importantly, why did he leave her the way he did?

"Ladies and gentlemen, the last duel of the quarter finals is about to begin!"

"I can't believe Mandy's going against Titus after all these years of him being gone," Cayenne said.

"Wonder how he managed to make it to the quarter finals," Alexa commented.

As Mandy kept running in the halls, she passed by a indigo haired male in slightly punked up clothing. He had on a smile, but Mandy was in to big of a hurry to pay attention to him.

"Are you ready for the final duel, everybody!"

As people began to cheer, Yusei and Akiza sat next to each other to watch the duel.

"Now entering the arena, the master of nightmares, Titus Yamaguchi!"

Titus had come up with his hands in his pockets and his eyes closed.

"And his opponent, the princess of New Domino City, Mandy Kuso!"

Mandy came up with a calm expression, but she didn't do anything as the crowd chanted her name. Tom and Marsha looked at one another in worry, since the two duelists were now on bad terms.

Titus opened his eyes and smirked.

"Been a long time, Mandy," he said.

Mandy returned the smirk. "Hi, Titus..."

"Whoa, there's some tension goin' on between these duelists here, everybody. So don't start the fire. Duelists, are you ready?"

Both duelists activated their duel disks.

"Let's do this!"

Titus: 4000  
>Mandy: 4000<p>

"Ladies first," Titus said with a smirk.

"How gentlemanly of you," Mandy replied, drawing a card before looking at it with uncertainty. "From my hand, I summon Guardian Wolf in attack mode. Then I'll use the equip spell, Full Moon Collar, which doubles his attack points by 2800. Then I place two cards facedown and end my turn."

"Hmmm, not a bad play, Mandy. You used to be a little nervous when you started dueling as a kid."

"You tend to learn to grow up as you get older. It's not something I can control."

"See that's where you're wrong, but hey, you can't argue about it, can you? I draw! And I summon Dead Scarecrow(ATK 2000/DEF 2100) in defense mode, and then I'm activating his special ability. You remember, don't you? When Dead Scarecrow is summoned in defense mode every turn, he gets to the same number of attack points as the monster in your field. Then I play the spell card, Pumpkin Lantern, which gives Scarecrow an 800 point and a double level boost, and since Scarecrows a level 8 and your Wolf is a level 6, that means that that wolf is about to be separated from his pack the hard way. That also means you get 1600 points of direct damage. Strike him down, Scarecrow."

Dead Scarecrow sprinted towards Guardian Wolf to strike him to his lantern.

"You just activated my facedown trap card, Level Switch!"

_The Level Switch trap card can switch the levels of yours and your opponents monster during an attack, which prevents your monster from being destroyed._

"Now that my Wolf is a level 16, your Scarecrow can't destroy him. And if that lantern can't do any damage, then that equip spell automatically destroys your monster, and the damage gets stuck on you." Scarecrow swung his lantern onto Guardian Wolf, but due to the level switch, the lantern broke and fire broke out onto Titus' monster. "How about a little fire, Scarecrow?"

Dead Scarecrow started dancing his way back to Titus' side before turning into an explosion, costing Titus his lifepoints.

Titus: 2400  
>Mandy: 4000<p>

"Wow, talk about a good plan set on fire! Just when Titus thought he could make a powerful direct attack, he gets outsmarted by the heir of New Domino City!"

Akiza looked worriedly between the two duelists.

_'Titus, what happened between you and Mandy to make you so unsteady towards one another?' _she thought.

"If you're wondering what happened between Titus and Mandy," Yusei said, startling the psychic, "I can tell you since the two of you are friends. They battled in the city streets when she was a little kid, and she was already winning by time Sector Security arrived. He left high school without graduating after he had failed. I got the story from her dad last night."

"You've gotten better since I saw you last, Mandy," Titus said.

Mandy smirked. "I'm not the same little girl you used to play around with, Titus."

"I can see that. You've matured. I place three cards facedown and end my turn."

"It's my move then. I summon the tutor monster, the Three-headed Dark Warrior, in defense mode, and thanks to his special ability, he adds up an extra level to Guardian Wolf. Now I'm tuning in Guardian Wolf and Dark Warrior in order to synchro summon Dark Guardian Cerberus!"

Cerberus roared as he landed next to Mandy's side and she stroked his fur.

"Your three-headed dog doesn't scare me, Mandy."

"Well, you should be scared, because now I activate Cerberus' special ability. If he takes out all three of those facedowns, the damage you get triples. Sick 'em, boy!"

Cerberus launched himself onto Titus' side and destroyed his facedown cards.

Titus: 600  
>Mandy: 4000<p>

"Wow, Mandy did not hesitate to let go of the leash for a direct attack on Titus! With 600 lifepoints left, can he be able to lift himself up?!"

"What's wrong, Titus? I thought you'd put up more of a fight."

Titus smirked. "Oh, I've been waiting to for you lower my lifepoints, Mandy."

Mandy's eyes widened. "Huh?!"

"You seem surprised. I'm happy for that."

"I... I place one card facedown. It's your move."

"Thanks. I summon Nightmare Crater(ATK 600/DEF 600) in defense mode, and with its special ability, I can summon a monster from my graveyard in attack mode. Welcome back, Dead Scarecrow."

As Dead Scarecrow returned to the field, Mandy started getting nervous.

_'He wanted me to lower his lifepoints?' _she thought. _'That's crazy. He'd do anything to keep his lifepoints up. He's up to something, but what?'_

"Getting scared, Mandy?"

Mandy glared. "Shut up!"

_Th-thump_

Mandy gasped as her eyes burned and everything in her eyes became a huge light. She soon found herself in a dark void of some sort and spotted Titus on the other side. As she ran to him, he looked around questioningly.

"Titus, what's going on?"

"I don't know."

They heard growling and they looked up to see the Crimson Dragon above them.

"Crimson Dragon?" Mandy said in astonishment.

"So it's true," Titus said, looking at her. "You really are the Crimson Eye Keeper."

"Uh, yeah. Funny you should mention that."

In the real world, both duelists eyes seemed fogged and they looked as if they were possessed. Yusei and Akiza were shocked.

_'Oh, no,' _Yusei thought. _'Is it happening all over again?'_

_'Did Mandy go back to the spirit world?'_ Luna thought in shock.

Meanwhile, the two duelists walked through the dark void, but soon started walking on the earth as they came to a deserted area.

"What is this place?" Mandy asked.

"This way!" a faint voice shouted.

Titus and Mandy looked towards the voices and saw two people, one a teenager, the other a child, running down the road.

"Down the road. Follow me," the teen said to the child behind him.

"No way," Mandy said in astonishment. "That's me as a little kid!"

"It looks like a memory," Titus said in shock.

"Yeah, and it's a bad one."

Mandy's nine year-old self followed the nineteen year-old Titus down the path towards an old fence.

"The old haunted junk area," Titus said. "I remember it like it was yesterday."

"Wait for me, Titus," little Mandy said.

"You sure you wanna keep going?" Titus' younger self asked. "Rumor has it that no one who enters this place is ever heard from again."

Little Mandy pouted. "I'm not scared. I'm the daughter of the late Queen of Games!"

Titus smiled. "If something did happen to you, no one would ever know."

The present duelists watched as their past selves came towards the old looking wired fence.

"C'mon, I dare to walk across this fence, scaredy-cat!"

With the help of the teen, the little girl was set down on the wire on her feet and she carefully walked across in fear of losing her balance.

"This isn't getting us anywhere," the present Titus said. "Let's go."

Mandy grabbed his shoulder to stop him. "Wait. If we're seeing this, it's for a reason."

Titus looked at her. "We both know what happened. The fence broke, you fell in. End of story."

Mandy looked back at the memory as her child self nervously walked across the fence wires, and Titus thought he'd mess with her a little by wiggling the wood, making the child nearly lose her balance.

She looked at him with a glare. "Quit it!"

"Come on, _princess,_" he mocked. "I thought you were supposed to be brave."

Mandy pouted and turned back forward to concentrate on her walking. She smiled as she was successfully close to the end, but Titus smirked and kicked the bottom of the wooden post down, making the entire fence fall into a deep ditch. Little Mandy screamed as she fell downward, and the present Mandy gasped as she was sent back to reality.

Everyone became confused at her reaction.

"What happened?" Leo asked. "What's wrong with her?"

Yusei and Akiza became worried as Mandy stared at the ground with wide eyes.

"I... I always thought that fence fell by itself," she whispered before glaring at Titus. "But it didn't did it?" Her pupils turned into slits as she looked at him in fury. "You broke it!"

_Little Mandy squeezed herself through the tight bottom of the ditch to stand up and look at Titus above her._

_"Titus, help!" she yelled._

_Titus took a step back before running off._

_Mandy's eyes widened as tears formed and she reached out to him. "Don't leave! Don't leave me!"_

Mandy's eyes filled with tears of sorrow and anger.

"How could you do that to me! I thought I was your little sister!"

Titus' face was expressionless. "I thought I'd get in trouble with the authorities. I was scared."

Mandy glared. "That's your excuse!"

"I'm tuning in my Dead Scarecrow with my Nightmare Crater in order to synchro summon Nightmare King(ATK 3400/DEF 2700)!"

_Nightmare King is a level 10 dark attributed synchro monster that can feed off the fear of its opponent, which gives it 1000 attack points._

"Now I activate Nightmare Kings special ability. See by gaining energy from your fear from both you and your monster, including the ones you used to synchro summon, not only will he be able to gain 1000 attack points each, but that's the same amount of lifepoints I regain!"

Mandy gasped. "Huh!?"

Nightmare King made a flowing motion with his hand and Mandy was shrouded in darkness with her monsters.

Titus: 4600  
>Mandy: 4000<p>

"Now that my Nightmare King has 7400 attack points, you get hit with 2200 points of damage!"

Nightmare King laughed as he reached a hand out and grabbed Mandy and hurt her.

Titus: 4600  
>Mandy: 1800<p>

"Whoa! Talk about extreme damage! Mandy Kuso is gonna have her work cut out for her!"

_'What do you think you're doing, Titus?'_ Sayer thought as he watched. _'You were supposed to test Mandy's abilities as keeper of the eyes!'_

Mandy fell to her knees in pain.

"Hah, stings like a bitch, doesn't it? You know, you and these people are only thinking you can feel pain, but I'm only _making _you think that way!"

Mandy looked up at him in shock.

"That's right! My abilities as a telepath is only making you feel like you're getting hurt!"

Mandy stood up as she looked at him in sorrow. "What happened to you, Titus? I mean, you were always a jackass when I was a kid, but this..."

Titus frowned as his eyes were hidden in his hair. "You wanna know what happened?... YOU HAPPENED!"

Mandy gasped in shock. "What!?"

"That's right! You! I'm like this because of _you!_ Ever since you started dueling, everyone was all, 'Mandy' this and 'Mandy' that! Mandy the daughter of Chloe Kitsune, she's sooo amazing! Everyone started giving you praises for your skills! You ridiculed me, and I've been in hell ever since!"

Mandy stepped back in disbelief. "But why would you do this?"

"To get back on top! To put you in your place! To show you how humiliated I was!"

Mandy gave him a menacing glare. "Then let's settle this. Once and for all!"

"Gladly. I'll place one card facedown and end my turn!"

"This is the point of no tomorrow, folks! We are looking at an all out war between these two duelists!"

"I'm summoning Kittybat in attack mode and my Black Goblin(ATK 600/DEF 600) in defense mode! Then I'm gonna tune them up in order to synchro summon Saber-tooth Gargoyle(ATK 25000/DEF 2000)! Then I'm activating Saber-tooth's special ability. I get to draw a card from my deck and send it to the graveyard. Then I'll place one card facedown and end my turn. Unlike you, Titus, I don't need psychic powers to cheat by reading someone's mind."

Titus smirked. "Oh, I'm not going to read your mind. I'm just going to simply tear it apart..."

Mandy flinched in confusion.

"And I'll do that by activating the spell card, Eye Collar of Submission, which will put you down for 200 points of damage for every attack you make."

At this, a black collar with an open eye appeared around Mandy's neck and chains were attached to the ground.

"You better stay cautious, Mandy, because I'm about to make you feel how bad it hurts to lose."

_'Mandy, hang in there,' _Yusei thought

Akiza was utterly shocked at the turn events.

Jack had gotten up from the couch and rushed over to the window in shock at the sight of Mandy getting hurt. He wanted to rush down there and get her away from the one childhood friend who now despised her.

"200 points of damage is nothing."

"Oh, so you think. I place one card facedown and end my turn."

"Good. Because now I'm going to attack you directly. Saber-tooth Gargoyle, attack him with Shadow Claw!"

Saber-tooth Gargoyle slashed Titus with her Shadow Claw, but in doing so, the Eye Collar of Submission shocked Mandy and caused her terrible pain.

Titus: 4400  
>Mandy: 1600<p>

"Quite a risky move you just played there, Mandy."

"But I'm not done yet, because now I'm playing the equip spell, Triplet Collars of the Beast, which will triple my Cerberus' attack points to 9000!" Three collars were placed around the neck of each head on Cerberus. "Now, Cerberus, destroy his cards!"

"Not so fast! I activate the trap card, Storming Daggers! If you even attempt to attack me, a rain of daggers will be poured down onto you like a storm! Now you'll know how it feels to have your pride pierced by a blade!"

Daggers came out of the card and shot into the air before they rained down onto Mandy, each one sinking into her body and making her screamed in pain.

Titus: 4400  
>Mandy: 800<p>

"Whoa! I'm starting to think that Titus is taking this duel a little too seriously!"

Mandy weakly lifted one of her arms as she saw blood drip out of the wounds.

Yusei and Akiza watched in utter horror as they saw how much pain Mandy felt. Even though they both knew that Titus' power was only making her think she was pain, nothing could make them stare in fear for her life. Jack was just as scared for her as they were.

"I'll... end my... turn..." Mandy felt like she couldn't breathe at the pain from the dozen daggers that sunk into her body.

"Aw, what's the matter, Mandy? Does it hurt? Now you know how it feels to fail. And let me tell you something else. I only hung around you because I felt sorry for you! You didn't have another parent to teach you right from wrong anymore. The only parent you had left was your father. So I hung around you because I was trying to make you feel good about yourself, and you repaid me by humiliating me! I had left high school and my parents, because they said that I was too much trouble for them to handle!"

Mandy weakly looked down at the ground. "So you joined the Arcadia Movement?"

"That's right. But I was also only using them to get to you. I'm not the same person you dueled years ago either, Mandy. I'm better, stronger, and smarter. You can't win."

Mandy's eyes were under the shadow of her hair as she grabbed the handle of a dagger that was in her arm and slowly pulled it out. "Wow... You played me like the naïve little girl that I was..." Mandy gritted her teeth in fury. "I can't believe I felt for your trash!" At this, she threw the dagger at his feet, making everyone gasp in shock. Titus frowned as he saw her tear filled hazel eyes. "You said I was special! That I was gifted! But now I know that it was all a _lie!_"

Zigzix's reactor started to act up and was quickly ticking towards the end.

Mandy's pupils turned to slits and red flecks began to appear.

"I was hoping that you wouldn't cry, Mandy, but your emotions would always get the better of you sometimes. Nightmare King, end her lifepoints!"

Nightmare King laughed as he reached out to Mandy.

"Not so fast! I activate my facedown, Reversing Mirror!"

_Reversing Mirror can deflect your opponents attack and reflect the damage towards them._

"Now that 2200 point damage can be reflected towards _you! _So much for a monsters loyalty!"

Nightmare King touched the Reversing Mirror and had his attack go towards his master and he grabbed him.

Titus: 2200  
>Mandy: 800<p>

"That doesn't make a difference, Mandy! I'm still ahead of you. I play the spell, Nightmare Clown, and with every monster that is on the field, I get one Nightmare Clown token(ATK 200/DEF 200); and since there are three monsters on the field, I get three Nightmare Clown tokens! Then I'm going to tune in my Nightmare King with all three of my tokens in order to synchro summon Corus, the Nightmare God(ATK 3800/DEF 3000)!"

Everyone trembled at the sight of Corus.

"I would use Corus' special ability to end you, Mandy, but seeing that you had given me a merciful defeat last time, I think I might as well give you one as well. I'm summoning Nightmare Joker(ATK 1900/DEF 1700) in attack mode and he's going to attack you directly. So much for keeping that promise to your mother."

As Nightmare Joker had sprinted forward to do damage onto Mandy, he was instantly destroyed when he nearly reached her.

Titus' eyes widened in shock. "What!? What the hell happened!?"

Mandy glared. "What happened is that you just activated my facedown, Lunar Eclipse! If your monster even attempts to attack me when my lifepoints are below 1000, they automatically get destroyed. And it also allows me to summon one of the other twin dragon sisters!"

"Impossible!"

"I'm activating the power of Lunar Eclipse!" The Lunar Eclipse card glowed and the sun was replaced by the moon, which created a lunar eclipse and her monsters to glow. "Now I'm tuning in my Dark Guardian Cerberus and Saber-tooth Gargoyle in order to synchro summon Dark Moon Dragon(ATK 2400/DEF 2000)!"

As her monsters shot up towards the moonlight, it glowed and began to form into a black dragon with a serpent like body, glowing lunar wings, a head shaped like a serpent with a moon symbol on its forehead, and two arms with blade like claws. This was Light Suns twin sister, Dark Moon Dragon.

She roared in triumph as her lunar beams touched everyone in the darkness.

"Light Sun Dragons twin sister, Dark Moon Dragon, has entered the arena, ladies and gentlemen! I never would've seen this coming!"

"And her ability is the same as Light Suns. Dark Moon can drain some of Corus' power so that their attack points are equal, and she gets an extra 500 points thanks to my other monsters!"

At this, Mandy felt her eyes burn and she screamed in pain. Titus became concerned at this.

"Mandy, what's wrong?"

"My eyes... they're... THEY'RE BURNING!" At this, she opened her and revealed the Crimson Dragons eyes. Then the ground beneath them began to shake.

_'Oh, no,' _Akiza thought in fear. _'Her powers are getting out of control. At this rate, if she doesn't calm down soon, she could go into a massive power tantrum.' _Akiza got up and ran out the door. "I've got to stop her!"

The ground began to crack as Mandy's eyes burned to no end and Akiza came out to the field.

"Mandy, your powers are getting out of control! You have to fight it!"

"I... CAN'T!" The wind began to form a tornado around her and she saw the Crimson Dragon. _'Crimson Dragon, what do I do!'_

_End the duel, child! It is the only way to keep your powers from destroying the Kaiba Dome!_

Mandy didn't think it would work, but if it was the only way, so be it.

"Dark Moon Dragon, end the duel with Lunar Blaze!"

Dark Moon Dragon roared and blew out lunar flames and destroyed Corus, the Nightmare God. Mandy screamed as her body was engulfed in the light and a massive wave shot out in the arena. Titus had been knocked down and everyone had ducked for cover. The reactor went overload and exploded as Zigzix screamed.

When the light disappeared, Mandy laid there unconscious over the cracked surface and Titus was knocked out.

Titus: 0  
>Mandy: 400<p>

Everyone came out of their hiding places in bewilderment.

"Well, it looks like the duel's over. And the winner for 400 lifepoints is Mandy Kuso, who is currently knocked out at this moment."

Akiza ran to Mandy and knelt by her side. As she slowly lifted her upper body, Dark Moon Dragon lowered herself to her master and whimpered. Akiza looked at her in sadness before hugging her body against her.

"Oh, Mandy..."

Yusei ran out to her and got on his knees as he saw Mandy's beautiful eyes closed in anguish. He wanted to pull her away from Akiza and have her near him. At this, he realized that he was indeed in love with Mandy.

As he made to pick her up, Akiza glared. "I've already got her!" That being said, she picked Mandy up bridal style and stood up to carry her out to the infirmary.

"Director, she is even more powerful than we ever imagined!" Zigzix shouted. "The reactor had picked up a strong signal from her during the end of the duel, and once her energy got out of control, the reactor was destroyed!"

"Just fix the reactor by tomorrow," Goodwin ordered. "We're going to be doing some major cleaning up, thanks to Miss Kuso."

Zigzix bowed before the signal was shut off.

Jack looked down in anguish. "So she really is the Eye Keeper?"

"Yes, but don't worry, Jack. You and the signers are the only ones that can protect her."

Yusei watched Akiza take Mandy away and had his hand clench his heart. Mandy Kuso, the girl that he loved, was now broken.

Once they were in the infirmary, Akiza watched Mandy sleep in sadness. As she was sleeping, a tear had escaped Mandy's eye.


	25. The Sleepwalking Nightmare

**Okay, whoa! I'm not that great a writer, people! And thank you for the spelling corrections. I swear, when it comes to spelling hard words like that, I can't spell worth shit! Anyway, poor Mandy is heart brokened by Titus, can someone bring her spirits back up?**

**Disclaimer: you know the drill**

**Read and review. Or don't. I don't care-.-**

* * *

><p>Mandy laid in the bed unconscious as Akiza watched over her in sadness. How could someone so innocent as Mandy be broken by someone so dark and corrupted as Titus? Surely he didn't mean those awful words he said to her, right? As the girl began to stir in her sleep, Akiza watched to see if she would wake up.<p>

When Mandy opened her eyes, her vision was blurred for a few seconds before she looked to see Akizas worried face. Mandy brought a hand to her head in exhaustion.

"Where am I?" she asked.

"You're in the infirmary," Akiza answered. "The explosion really packed a great punch. You fell unconscious, so I rushed you here immediately."

"Is the duel over?" Akiza nodded. "I guess I lost, huh?"

"Oh, no, Mandy, you won. You still had 400 lifepoints left."

Mandy smiled bitterly. "I guess this means I've brought shame and humiliation to him once again..." She then frowned. "It's all my fault. If I hadn't have beaten him a long time ago, he probably never would've left me and he wouldn't be like this."

Akiza put her hand on Mandy's shoulder. "It's not your fault, Mandy. Titus was blinded by his own fury. I'm sure that he didn't mean any of those awful things he said to you."

"But that doesn't change the fact that he _left _me, Akiza!"

Mandy started tearing up again and she hugged Akiza as she sobbed.

Just then, Jack had come in with a bouquet of white gardenias in his hand. Mandy pulled away from Akiza and wiped off her tears as Jack approached them.

"What do you want, Jack?"

"I just came to see if you were doing alright, love," Jack replied.

"If you came here to flirt with me, don't, okay? I'm not in the mood."

Jack sat down at the edge of the bed and softly grabbed her hand in his. Akiza gave him a warning glare, but he ignored it.

"I know that, Mandy, but I'm not here to flirt. I just wanted to tell you not to listen to whatever that telepath says to you. His own selfish desires lead him to lose this duel, and also lose you. You can stop blaming yourself, Mandy, because it wasn't your fault."

Mandy's eyes were wide at this... kind speech he gave her. Never before had he spoken to her like this, and not even in a smug way. For once, he was actually trying to cheer her up. She didn't know this, but what happened in her duel pained Jacks heart. He decided to speak with his heart rather than his mind like he always did.

Mandy opened her mouth to say something, only for her to close it. Needless to say, she was speechless. Jack put down the flowers, grabbed her other hand, then brought both of them to his face and kissed the palms of her hands tenderly.

"Get well soon, love." With that, he left.

Mandy blushed slightly before she wiped her hands off and took the flowers and held them in her arms, taking in the sweet scent that she loved so much since she was a child.

Akiza smiled. "Gardenias, huh?"

Mandy nodded. "Yeah, their my favorite. My mom showed 'em to me when I was two, and she called me her little gardenia."

"They suit you quite nicely. Gardenias are a symbol of joy, and the color white symbolizes purity. They fit your personality wonderfully."

Mandy blushed at Akizas words before she took off the covers and swung her legs around the edge of the bed and got up. "Well, I better head home and get some rest. You should probably do the same, Akiza."

Akiza nodded before pulling Mandy into a hug. "I'm sorry about what happened."

Mandy returned the embrace. "It's not your fault. It was a long time ago anyway."

Akiza nodded before releasing the girl and they both went their separate ways. When Mandy came to the others, the kids and girls greeted her with a group hug. She hugged Yanagi and Tanner separately, and saved Yusei for last. However, their hug lasted much longer. Yusei took in Mandy's sweet scent, only to see that she had gardenias in her hands, but he didn't care. All that mattered was that she was in his arms, the girl he loved dearly. Mandy was glad to be in Yuseis arms, because it felt so right, it was like being in the arms of a guardian sworn to protect what they cared most about.

They pulled away and Yusei looked at the bouquet. "Those from Jack?"

Mandy hugged the flowers to her chest. "Yeah, he's been strangely nice to me today. Well, after your duel with Greiger of course. Maybe I should be nice back and keep them for a bit."

Yusei felt a little jealous, but he nodded. "You should. Jack may be a jerk on the outside, but inside he has a heart."

Mandy nodded before they all left the Kaiba Dome. When they had gotten back home, Mandy was in her fathers arms as he tried to comfort her, along with Marsha and Peyton. When they left, the four had dinner in silence. Then as nightfall had come, Mandy sent the twins to bed after they had given her one last hug in comfort.

Once Mandy was in bed herself, she began dreaming about a meadow and she was laying down in the flowers. Peyton came to her side, laughing cheerfully. Mandy smiled as he took her hand and pulled her up to her feet. They both laughed as he lead her down the meadow. In the real world, a swarm of dark butterflies had swirled around her sleeping form and she smiled before unconsciously getting out of bed and following the butterflies out of her room.

Luna woke up to the sound of footsteps and she got up to see Mandy walking down the steps with her eyes closed. Worried, she hurried to her brothers room and shook him awake. Leo groggily woke up and Luna pointed to Mandy's sleepwalking form. That had actually woken up Leo and they scrambled out to see Mandy walk out the door.

"Yusei! Yusei!"

Yusei woke up to their screaming and sat up from where he slept. "What's wrong?"

"It's Mandy!" Leo shouted. "She just got up and left!"

"The worst part is that she's not even awake!" Luna yelled along with him. "She might be sleepwalking or something!"

Yuseis eyes widened in alarm and he got up frantically and grabbed his jacket before he ran out the door after the teen.

Meanwhile, Mandy was walking down the streets as she continued to follow the butterflies, still in her sleeping state. In her dream, Peyton lead her down a path past the trees. They were both laughing so heartily that the wind picked up and blew the trees, but in reality it had started to rain badly.

Yusei was on his duel runner as he searched desperately for any sign of Mandy's presence, but the rain wasn't making it any easier.

"Man, where on earth could she have gone off to?"

He soon spotted her climbing onto the crates and sped to her direction.

In Mandy's dream she was climbing onto a hill where Peyton was gesturing her to come up. When she got to the top, she looked down a cliff and saw her mother in the water. Her eyes widened in joy. Her very own mother was alive and waiting for her.

Chloe smiled. _"Hello, sweetheart."_

Mandy waved. _"Mom!"_

Peyton jumped down the cliff and splashed Chloe and they both laughed before looking up to her daughter. _"What are you waiting for, honey? Jump!"_

Mandy laughed in her dream, and also in the storming reality. Yusei was speeding up to her and his eyes widened in horror as he saw her on the railing.

"Mandy, stop!" he yelled. As he saw her foot raise up slightly to jump into the water, he started going faster. "MANDY NO!"

In her dream, Chloes eyes turned into a demonic purple.

_"Jump!"_

Mandy gasped.

_"Jump to your own demise!" _Chloe then turned into a giant creature and others started coming toward her. _"For the world shall be consumed in darkness! And you will **die!**"_

Mandy screamed as another creature grabbed her from behind, but it was Yusei trying to get her off the railing. However, she continued to kick and scream in terror.

"Let me go! Let me go!"

Yusei struggled to calm her down. "Mandy, stop! Calm down!"

"Get away from me!"

"Mandy, it's me! It's Yusei!"

"Yusei, help me!"

"I'm right here! Wake up!" He turned her around to face him. "Mandy, wake up! You're in the city port!"

Mandy's eyes shot open and she took in her surroundings. "The shadow creatures are coming! The world's in danger! The Satellite!"

She was speaking so fast that Yusei could barely get a word out of her. "Mandy, settle down!"

Mandy started tearing up as she buried her face into his chest. "I saw my mothers face... I swear, I saw my mothers face..."

Yusei looked down at her and he wrapped his protective arms around her petite body. "It's okay, Mandy. It was just a nightmare." She started crying into his arms and he tightened his hold. "You're safe here... with me."

They both stayed like that in the rain before they got onto his runner and went straight back home. Luna and Leo waited worriedly for them to come back, but when they saw them both walk through the door, Mandy having Yuseis jacket over herself, they started asking Mandy a ton of questions that involved her sleepwalking. Mandy ignored them and went for the showers. Yusei watched in sadness, remembering that she said that she had seen her mothers face in her nightmare. Once Mandy was done, the twins went back to bed, but Mandy stayed on the couch with Yusei as she leaned into his warm embrace. As they both laid down, Mandy's heart began beating at a rapid pace, and from the looks of things, Yuseis heart was beating too. As Yusei held onto Mandy protectively, they both began to drift off to sleep.

"Yusei... I'm sorry about what happened..."

"It's not your fault, Mandy. You were just sleep-"

"It's not about that. I'm talking about the destruction I caused. I know you might be mad at me for what happened, but I couldn't help it. I got so out of control because I was so hurt and angry, I couldn't keep myself from nearly hurting anybody."

Yusei tightened his hold. "Mandy, I'm not mad at you about anything at all. I'm more mad at Titus that he betrayed you like that. Trust me, I know how it feels to be betrayed. Look what happened between me and Jack. My point is, none of this was your fault. Your emotions just got the better of you and you couldn't control them properly. In the end, you won your battle anyway. So stop apologizing, because you didn't do anything wrong. Okay?"

Mandy turned her head to look at him in the eyes and he saw the sparkle come back to life. The one that made her beautiful. He kissed her forehead and her cheeks were warm, but she was too tired to care. As she laid her head on his chest, she started falling asleep.

"Yusei... Thank you..."

Yusei kissed her head. "Your welcome, Mandy..." Once she had fallen asleep, he whispered. "I love you..."


	26. Duel of the Dragons Part 1

**If thou are wondering, yes, and the credit for that scene goes to the people who made the movie. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**Read and review. Or don't. I don't care-.-**

* * *

><p><em>Mandy... Honey... It's me. You don't have to listen to anything awful someone says to you. It doesn't matter what they say or what they do, but what will you do about it. You have more power than you realize, Mandy, and with great power comes great responsibilities. You don't have to be like me to become a champion. Just be yourself. You'll be fine.<em>

Mandy woke up and saw her deck on the coffee table with a groan.

"What?"

_Just be yourself. You'll be fine._

Kittybat sat on the coffee table with a smile as she watched her master look at her deck. Mandy looked at Yuseis sleeping face before he woke up himself. They stared into each others eyes before resting their foreheads against one another, both their cheeks turning a light shade of pink.

"You'll be dueling Akiza today," she said.

"Yeah, it's gonna be tough," he replied

"Just promise me that you'll be ok."

"I'll try."

Mandy laid her head back down on his chest and he stroked her dark hair.

"By the way, what happened between the two of you when you got kidnapped?"

"We bonded..."

"Welcome to the first match of the semi-final duel! Whoever wins this match gets to duel in the finals and then take on Jack Atlas! Our first competitor is the mysterious Black Rose, Akiza!"

When Akiza appeared before the crowd, everyone started booing at her. Mandy clenched her hands into fists.

_'Akiza, please give Yusei your trust the way you gave it to me. Let him understand you the way I did. Please listen to what he has to say.'_

"Challenging her is the shooting star from the Satellite Sector, Yusei Fudo!"

When Yusei appeared, Mandy brought her hands to her face in prayer.

_'Black Rose Dragon, please do not bring destruction onto Yusei just because it makes your master feel good. She should know that it will only make the pain worse.'_

Both her twin dragons growled in worry for the duel and she held her deck to her heart.

_'Mom, please help me show them the right path...'_

"Let's do this!"

"And now, get ready for the first duel of the semi-final round of the Fortune Cup!"

"Hope you're ready," Akiza said.

Akiza: 4000  
>Yusei: 4000<p>

"The first move is mine. I draw! I summon Wall of Ivy in defense mode! Next, I place one card facedown and end my turn."

"My move then," Yusei said, "and I counter by playing Speed Warrior in attack mode! On the turn Speed Warrior is summoned, it's attack points are doubled. Speed Warrior, shred that Wall of Ivy!"

"You had better be careful, Yusei, because when my Ivy Wall is destroyed, one of my Ivy tokens(DEF 0) takes root on your side of the field."

Before Wall of Ivy was destroyed by one of Speed Warriors powerful kicks, an Ivy token was placed on Yuseis side of the field.

"We've seen the Black Rose use this strategy before. It really created problems for Commander Koda and Sir Ransbourg, what kind of havoc will she reek on Yusei?"

Yusei looked at the Ivy token. "These could be a problem. It's your move."

"You're too kind. Now then, remember that last round when I summoned Wall of Ivy, only to have you tear it down by your Speed Warrior? Well, I'm playing the Cursed Ivy trap card to bring Wall of Ivy back! In case you can't tell, I've got kind of a green thumb. Oh, and by the way, I really should thank you, 'cause Cursed Ivy gets powered up by my Ivy Wall, so now it's stronger than it was before."

_'I know what she's doing,' _ Yusei thought. _'She's trying to increase the number of Ivy tokens on my field. 'Cause when that little sprout gets destroyed, I'll take 300 points of damage, and if she gets more on my field...'_

"You gonna stand around and think, or are you gonna duel."

"It's been a relatively mellow duel so far. Even the crowd seems to have simmer down a bit, but could we simply be experiencing the calm before the storm?"

"My move, and I'm sending Speed Warrior to my graveyard in order to summon my Turret Warrior(ATK 1200). And due to my Turrets ability, it now gains the attack points of my Speed Warrior. Looks like your Wall of Ivy is about to get uprooted."

"And it looks like another Ivy token's about shoot up on your side of field."

Akiza proved her point by having another Ivy token sprout on his field.

"Turret Warrior attack!"

Not only was Wall of Ivy destroyed, but so was the Cursed Ivy trap card.

"By destroying Wall of Ivy, you've also destroyed my Cursed Ivy trap card, and when my Cursed Ivy is sent to the grave yard, it summons two more Ivy tokens to your side of the field."

As she said this, two Ivy tokens sprouted in his side.

_'Man, these things are growing out of control.'_

"You got anything else for me?"

"No, I'm done for now."

"That's disappointing. I draw, and from my hand I'm activating the Seed of Deception spell card!"

_Seed of Deception is a spell card that let's you special summon a level 2 or below plant type monster from your hand._

"So with the power of the Seed of Deception spell card, I summon Darker Verger(ATK 0), but now I'm gonna do a little landscaping to make something stronger. I advance summon Rose Tentacles(ATK 2200) in attack mode!"

Rose Tentacles twirled around from the surface and presented itself to the world.

"The best thing about roses is that their thorns are as dangerous as their petals are beautiful! So you're about to experience that first hand. Go, Rose Retaliation!"

Rose Tentacles used its vines to destroy Turret Warrior, and a powerful wind blew out along with it.

Akiza: 4000  
>Yusei: 3900<p>

"Yusei only took 100 points of damage from that attack, but I've got a feeling the Black Roses strategy is about to blossom into something more terrifying."

"That attack was just the beginning, so get ready for my Rose Tentacles special ability to squeeze you into submission. Now you take damage for the four Ivy tokens on your field. This might hurt!"

_'Akiza, please don't,' _Mandy pleaded in her mind.

"This is the part of the battle that I enjoy the most, because now I get to watch the power of my Rose Tentacles and Ivy tokens bleed your life points dry!"

"Incredible! Akiza's managed to plant four Ivy tokens on Yuseis field, which means she can add a dose of quadruple destruction, and with each attack, Yusei's gonna take 600 points of damage. Whoa! It looks like the fans are running for the exits, and who could blame them? Especially after witnessing the Black Roses destructive powers in her last two duels, I wouldn't be in Yuseis boots right now."

"Oh, no," Leo said in dismay.

"Well, guys, nice knowin' ya," Yanagi said.

"We should probably take cover," Tanner warned, making everyone duck for cover.

"Let's see if people keep picking on me after this! Get ready, Yusei!"

Rose Tentacles destroyed an Ivy token and wrapped its vine around Yuseis right arm.

Akiza: 4000  
>Yusei: 3300<p>

"Here's one more! Attack!"

Rose Tentacles destroyed another Ivy token and wrapped another vine to his right leg.

Akiza: 4000  
>Yusei: 2700<p>

_'Akiza, please stop!' _Mandy pleaded.

"You're not giving in yet? Well, maybe this'll change your mind!"

Rose Tentacles destroyed another Ivy token and wrapped another vine on his left leg.

Akiza: 4000  
>Yusei: 2100<p>

_'I don't even think she cares about winning,' _Yusei thought. _'There's something else driving her. I know the world has been cruel to you because of the mark you have Akiza, but you have to realize that retaliating won't do anybody any good.'_

Akiza seemed out of breath. "I'm gonna enjoy this. Now attack!"

Rose Tentacle destroyed the last Ivy token and wrapped its vine around Yuseis body then began lifting him in the air in pain.

"Look at you up there, hopeless and alone! No one can help you, and no one wants to! Now you know what it feels to be me in this cruel, cold world!"

When Yusei looked down at Akiza, he saw that she was smiling.

_'She's smiling. She's actually enjoying my pain!'_

Before he knew, he was thrown to the ground.

"Whoa! Akizas attack has the stadium in panic! The place is in complete chaos! Just like we thought, Akiza is..."

"A witch!"

People started shouting 'witch' and 'cheater' Akiza. At this, Mandy got up from the couch and ran out the door. Yusei struggled to get up as he was badly injured.

Akiza: 4000  
>Yusei: 1500<p>

"Akiza, I want to help you," Yusei said. "I want to be your friend, and I'm gonna use every card I have to prove it to you. I'll start by playing Shield Warrior in defense mode. Next, I place two cards facedown and end my turn." Akiza looked like a mad woman as her breathing became heavy and her smile turned to insanity. "I think I understand it now. What makes you tick, Akiza, because of all the people have put you through. You _enjoy _it."

"Enjoy what?"

"You enjoy peoples misery. You like how it makes people feel. You like how it makes _you _ feel."

Akiza didn't seem to be afraid that Yusei figured her out. "You're right, and for the rest of this duel, I _really _ plan on enjoying myself."


	27. Duel of the Dragons Part 2

**Holy shit! Here comes the fire! Why did Mandy leave the room? What is she going to do?**

**Disclaimer: You've heard say it plenty of times to know that I don't own this shit**

**Read and review. Or don't. I don't care-.-**

* * *

><p>"Welcome back to the excitement, ladies and gentlemen! Akiza seems to have Yusei right where she wants him. Can he escape the reach of the Black Roses Rose Tentacles, or will his life points get squeezed into submission? Let's watch and find out."<p>

"Well, Yusei," Akiza said, drawing a card, "it's my turn, and I activate Ivy Shackles! And with this spell, I can now turn your Shield Warrior into a plant type monster. Before you know it, Yusei, your entire field is going to look like one big greenhouse."

Vines sprouted from underneath Shield Warrior and wrapped themselves around him.

"So with your warrior now under the control of my Rose Tentacles, she can now attack you an extra time this round. You said I enjoy other peoples misery, well then I guess I should really enjoy this, shouldn't I!"

_'Oh, man,' _Yusei thought. _'Even though my warrior's in defense mode, he can't protect me both attacks.'_

"Now, Rose Tentacles, attack! Thrash his warrior! Go, Rose Retaliation!"

Rose Tentacles destroyed Shield Warrior.

"Oh, and by the way, my Rose Tentacles doesn't stop there. Since your warrior is under her control, you now take 300 points of direct damage."

To prove her point, Rose Tentacles hit Yusei on the back.

Akiza: 4000  
>Yusei: 1200<p>

Akiza smiled.

"Akiza, listen! Don't do this!"

"Huh? Don't do what? Attack you directly!? Well, I don't do charity!"

"Then I play my trap, Card Defense! So by removing one of the cards in my hand, my traps event cancels your attack and it allows to draw a new card to replace it!"

"It'll take more than that to stop me."

"Akiza, you have to listen. You can't keep dueling with this anger."

"Oh, yeah? Well until you've battled in my duel disk, save it! I don't need your help!"

"What about Mandy? She offered you her help and you accepted it."

"What happened between me and Mandy is none of your concern! And it's goin to stay that way!"

"We'll see. I summon Junk Synchron! And thanks to his special ability, I get to summon another monster from my graveyard. So say hello again to Speed Warrior!"

_Speed Warrior is a level 2 wind attribute warrior type monster that has 900 attack points and 400 defense points._

"And now I'm tuning my Junk Synchron with my Speed Warrior to synchro summon Junk Warrior! Let's rev it up!"

Junk Warrior was summoned to the field with his 2300 attack points.

"Next, I'm going to activate the equip spell, Jump Barrage, which gives my warrior a power boost! Alright, pal, now attack Rose Tentacles!"

Junk Warrior shot into the air and then shot down to destroy Rose Tentacles.

Akiza: 3900  
>Yusei: 1200<p>

"And now the effect of my Junk Barrage activates! So as soon as my warrior destroyed your garden-gone-wild, you lose life points for each of Rose Tentacles attack points!"

Junk Warrior blasted a beam at Akiza.

Akiza: 2800  
>Yusei: 1200<p>

"Looks like you're up."

"That was a big round for Yusei! Now will Junk Warrior make trash out of the Black Rose?"

"Alright, Yusei's got this," Leo said in excitement.

"No kidding," Alexa said with a smile.

"You see combo that, gramps?" Tanner said. "He's on a roll!"

"I'd prefer you'd just call me Yanagi," Yanagi replied with a smile.

_'There's something about the way Yusei's dueling,' _Luna thought. _'It's almost like he's holding back and trying to help Akiza.'_

"You want combos? Watch! First of all, since my spell card, Ivy Shackles, is still in effect, your warrior becomes a plant type monster. Next I'm summoning my Copy Plant in defense mode, and I bet you can guess its ability just from its name. But in case you weren't paying attention, it can copy a level of another plant type monster on the field, and since your warrior's under the control of my Rose Tentacles, my Copy Plant now becomes a level 5 monster!"

"I'm not sure I like what she's about to do, kids," Yanagi said nervously. "She's got Yusei backing into a corner."

"And now that I have tutor monster, Copy Plant, on my field, I can trigger the ability of my Dakr Verger that's in my graveyard to summon up your destruction, Yusei."

"Here comes the combo she was talkin' about," Tanner said. "Aw, man, this ain't good."

"Get ready, 'cause now I get to use my monster for a synchro summon! I tune my Copy Plant with my Dark Verger to create my ultimate monster! I summon Black Rose Dragon!"

Black Rose Dragon roared as the strong winds blew around the arena.

"Get ready to feel the wrath of my Black Rose Dragon, Yusei!" Yuseis mark glowed and he looked at it in shock. "Because as soon as it's summoned to the field, I can activate its special ability. So by taking a plant type monster from the graveyard and removing it from play, I get to choose one of your monsters and send its attack points to 0. I sacrifice Wall of Ivy! It's a small price to pay to take out your Junk Warriors attack points."

"Not Junk Warrior!"

"That tin can's worthless now! There's nothing that he can do! Black Rose Dragon attack!"

"He might not be able to help me, but guess who can! By removing my Shield Warrior from play, I can save Junk Warrior from being destroyed!"

"But you're still going to feel the wrath of my dragon!"

"Not if I play this, my Spirit Force! So now all the damage from your dragons attack is negated!" Just as the flames was negated, it broke the glass and made the people panic. "Oh, man, her power's getting out of control. I better finish this duel before someone gets hurt. With the power of Spirit Force, I'm bringing back Junk Synchron from my graveyard."

"Well, let's see what that hunk of junk can do against two facedowns."

"You ruined my seat! Do have any idea how this costs!"

"She's dangerous!"

"Just send her away!"

"No one wants you!"

_Freak! Freak! Freak! Freak!_

Akiza became angry. "Just keep it up. Just Keep putting me down. I know it makes you feel good, and I'll show you what makes me feel good." She then smiled. "It's time to show you what misery really is. My whole life, I've tried to ignore all the teasing and name calling, but you can't ignore the pain it causes you forever, Yusei. I'll make them stop!"

_'I have to help her before she does something she'll regret,' _Yusei thought. _'If I show her her power's a gift and not a curse, maybe she'll stop causing all this pain.' _"It's my move!" He looked at the card he drew and was satisfied. _'Nice! With Prevention Star, I can stop one of her monsters from attacking! I better hold on to it for later. I got a feeling the big dogs are coming in soon.' _"I summon Junk Synchron in attack mode! And thanks to his special ability, Speed Warrior is summoned automatically!"

"Alright!" Leo said. "And now Speed Warriors attack points get transferred to Junk Warrior!"

"Now that's what I call a double special ability," Alexa commented.

Yusei got out a card. _'Stardust Dragon. Perfect!' _"Now I tune in my Junk Synchron with my Junk Warrior!" Junk Synchron and Junk Warrior came together in a synchro summon. "Say hello to my Stardust Dragon(ATK 2500)!"

"In all my years of broadcasting, I have never seen a monster like this! If you're watching from home, do not adjust your screen! It's as unbelievable as it appears!"

"That's his dragon!" Yanagi said in astonishment. "That's the card Mandy gave him!"

"Wait a sec, why would Yusei bring out a monster that's weaker than his warrior?" Leo asked.

"I don't know," Luna said. "It's like he's trying to say something to the Black Rose."

"Get ready, people! 'Cause these two dragons are about to do battle!"

"You brought out that dragon to remind of all the pain this detestable mark has caused me! Why would you do that!? Do you really believe that because we have this mark in common you know what I'm feeling and what I've been through?"

"I'm just showing you you're not as different as you think. I don't have to be your enemy, I could be your friend."

"Friend? Who says I want any friends? We both have these stupid marks, and no matter what we do, we'll always be outcasts. Get it? Our faith is to be alone. My family, my classmates, everyone I've ever known, I hurt. That's why having friends isn't a choice, it's something that I can never do, and that's why it's so much easier to wear a mask. It's amazing how little you care about people when you can live behind a wall of plaster and paint, even if it is only the size of your face. And so I dueled with it. I _won _with it, and I _lived _with it. Some have said it's time to move on, to show my true face to the world, because maybe then people wouldn't fear my abilities. Maybe then I could live a normal life, or at least as close to normal as people like us can get. Maybe even have a friend... But you heard the crowd, didn't you, Yusei? They don't understand me. Eighty thousand people are shouting they're _afraid _of me!"

"Don't listen to them, listen to _me._"

"I need my mask. Why are you trying to help me, Yusei?"

"Because I know you!"

"You know who? The scared girl? Maybe the face behind the mask?"

"I know what it's like to be the outcast. I'm from the Satellite. You think people like it when they saw me? You can't stay afraid. You can't hide behind a mask forever"

"You're wrong."

"What about Mandy?" Akiza looked at him in shock as he mentioned the dark haired girls name. "You say that you don't need a friend, but then why did you and Mandy become friends?" People started to take interest at this new information. "It's because you and her developed a special bond. You removed your mask so that you could allow her to see your true face, and she understood you unlike anyone else ever could. She told me that you and her bonded when you abducted her. Mandy cares about you, Akiza, more than anything, and I can tell that you care about her too. That's why you want to protect her. I want to protect her just as much as you do, Akiza, because you were right. I am in love with her."

Everyone gasped at this.

"What!?" Tanner shouted in shock.

"Did he just say what I think he just said!?" Alexa exclaimed.

"W-well, in all of the news I have heard in a duel, this is one of the most breath taking news I've ever heard of. Yusei Fudo, the Satellites shooting star, has just confessed his undying love to New Domino City's princess, Mandy Kuso. If she's watching this, I'm betting that she is in shock."

Jack became enraged. How _dare _he! How dare that Satellite try take away his girl by just saying he loved her! Mandy was supposed to be _his!_

Little did the crowd know that their princess was too busy running to the arena and did not hear this confession.

_'I didn't want to have to do this, Akiza, but you've left me no choice,' _Yusei thought. "Stardust Dragon, attack with Cosmic Flare!" All of the signers arms began to burn, and Mandy stopped as her eyes glowed red and burned. "Don't wear that mask!"

With little difficulty, Stardust Dragon destroyed Black Rose Dragon.

Akiza: 2700  
>Yusei: 1200<p>

"Sorry, but I've already made my decision. I need the mask. Without it, it's too easy to be hurt." Akiza proved her point by putting on her mask.

"Listen-"

"No, you listen! It's my move, and I activate Maggot Planter! So by removing my Ivy Shackles from play, I get to plant two new facedowns, and next I'll play one of them, Darking Tuning!"

Akiza: 1900  
>Yusei: 1200<p>

"For the low price of 800 life points, I can summon a synchro monster from my graveyard, and I'm bringing back Black Rose Dragon! But I'm not done yet, because now I get to equip Wicked Reborn to my dragon. She might not be able to attack this turn, but as long as she's equipped with this card, Black Rose Dragon can be re-summoned at the end of each and every round! So for those of you at the back of the class, that means if its ever attacked in a battle, or in some special spell, it comes back as good as new at the end of my turn. Oh, and last but not least, hen Black Rose Dragon is special summoned, all of the cards on your field are destroyed. So say goodbye to your pathetic pet!"

Mandy felt her heart pound and she clutched her eyes in pain, but composed herself and began running again. As the wind blew harshly at the crowd, Alexa and Cayenne tried keeping the kids protected.

_'I've gotta stop this,' _Yusei thought. "I activate Stardusts special ability! It might be a big price to pay, but sacrificing my dragon destroys yours and all of its powers! It's a dragon for a dragon!"

Stardust Dragon proved his power by flying over to wrap his wings around Black Rose Dragon, and both faded away.

"You may have rid the field of my dragon, but let's see how you handle Venusian Seed(ATK 800), and by sacrificing cards to activate its special ability, I'll sell my seed to summon Venusian Cluster Amaryllis!"

_When the monster card, Venusian Cluster Amaryllis, is in your graveyard, it's automatically summoned in defense mode at the end of your turn._

"And before you start it again with 'don't duel with anger', let's see if you change your tune when I destroy another of your monsters. Amaryllis, attack!" Amaryllis wrapped its vines around Speed Warrior and destroyed it. "But it doesn't end there, because once Amaryllis attacks, it self destructs, causing another 800 points of damage. This should hurt a little." Amaryllis exploded and caused Yusei pain. "Told ya."

Akiza: 1900  
>Yusei: 400<p>

The wind from the explosion caused half of Akizas mask to crack and fall apart to show her smile. "I'll end with a facedown."

"This round's not even close to being over, Akiza. Remember, I used Stardust Dragons special ability, and that means he comes back!"

"Well then I guess our two beasts will have to battle it out again! This is the beginning of your end! I re-summon Black Rose Dragon! And with it on the field, I now activate my trap, Overdue Line! So every monster I summon from my graveyard gains 1000 attack points, and to keep my dragon company, I'm activating Amaryllis' special ability, which also allows me to summon it from my graveyard. It's your turn, Yusei."

"I draw then." Yusei looked at the card he drew. _'Cosmic Blast. Now if my dragon leaves the field, it can still deal damage to Akiza. I know the only way to help is to defeat her, and I'm starting to see just a combo to do it.' _"I take my Stardust Dragon(DEF 2000) and switch it to defense mode. Then I'll activate the spell, Prevention Star, and since my dragon is in defense mode, I can equip the power of Prevention Star to it, and now I get to prevent one of your monsters from attacking or changing its battle position, and I think I'll freeze your Venusian Cluster Amaryllis!"

"Awesome!" Tanner shouted. "There's no way Yusei would've survived another round with that Cluster Amaryllis around! Now let's see if he cane turn this duel around!"

"I play the trap card, Synchro-back! Now by removing one synchro monster from the field, I can re-summon it next turn, and who better than my Black Rose Dragon, Yusei?"

As Black Rose Dragon faded, Yusei still looked determined.

"I'll end my turn with a facedown."

"It won't help you, 'cause thanks to my Syncrho-backs special ability, Black Rose Dragon comes back to the field." Akizas mark began to burn.

"Your mark."

"I wish it was gone."

"But it's a part of you. It's a part of all of us. Having this mark doesn't make you a witch, Akiza, it makes you special. I know other people don't see that and I know it hurts, but when you get angry at them you're only hating yourself. The pain you feel from that mark is shared by me as well. It's trying to bring us together to strengthen us. I don't understand it yet, but this pain is somehow uniting us. We have to figure out what it wants Akiza, but first you have to realize that we're not alone, that we're connected. We're all going to have to make a choice. We're all going to have to ban together in order for this to all make sense, and embrace you dragon. It's beautiful, just like you are under that mask."

"I'm not beautiful. People don't like me. And its this mark that's caused all the suffering I've had to live through."

"You're right, but if you stay mad you'll always suffer."

"So just accept it? Embrace it? Forget the past?" Akiza energy stabilizer fell out of her hair. "Hate's all I know! This discussion is over! I activate Black Rose Dragons special ability!" The wind began tear most of the stadium apart. "All your cards are destroyed along with this stadium!"

"I won't let you do this! I activate my dragons special ability! I'll sacrifice him to stop this destruction!" Stardust Dragon lunged forward and latched itself onto Black Rose Dragon, who started whipping him with her vines. "Don't fight this, Akiza! It's over! The dragon inside you was never meant to destroy!"

Black Rose roared as both her and Stardust vanished into thin air.

"She's gone," Akiza said in anguish. "Black Rose Dragon's gone, but that doesn't mean this duel is finished, Yusei. That star dragon's gone too, which means Amaryllis can give you a direct attack. But you still have that facedown, don't you? The question is, will it be enough? You've wasted your time trying to save me, now it's time to see if you can save yourself. Let's see if you can-"

Just then, she felt two arms wrap themselves harshly around her waist and she gasped in shock. Yuseis eyes widened and everyone became astonished. Holding Akiza from behind was Mandy crying her bitter tears.

"You have to stop!" she screamed. "That's enough, Akiza!"

Akiza was completely shocked at this. "Mandy..."

Mandy buried her face into Akizas back. "Please, don't do this, Akiza. I don't want you to make the hole in your heart any bigger than it is now. The destruction your causing is only going to make people fear you even more. The truth is, when I first saw you, yes, I was afraid. But I got to know you, Akiza. We got to know each other. Please believe me when I say that Yusei wants to be your friend. He's the most understanding person I have ever met. I don't... I don't want you to leave, Akiza. I want us to have happy memories together. I want to smile together. Laugh together. Cry together. Comfort one another. I want to do everything together, Akiza. I don't care what other people think of you, because they don't know you like I do... I love you the way you are, Akiza. So please, don't leave me..."

Akiza felt as if her heart was set free as her own tears poured out. Yuseis gaze at them softened, and everyone stood completely silent at this gesture of sisterly love.

"Yusei, finish the duel," Mandy demanded.

Yusei was shocked. "But, Mandy, if I activate my facedown, I might hurt you."

"I don't care! Just finish the duel!"

Yusei reluctantly nodded. "I activate the facedown, Cosmic Blast. Since Stardust Dragon left the field, you lose life points for all of its attack points. You would've seen it coming if you weren't hiding behind that mask."

Stardust Dragon gathered the leftover wind around him and he blew it towards Akiza, which hit her mask and made it fall off.

Akiza: 0  
>Yusei: 400<p>

Akiza turned around to look at Mandy as they both saw their tears, and hugged her as she fell to her knees, burying her face in her dark hair.

"I'm sorry," Akiza whispered. "I'm so sorry..."

Yusei watched as Akiza cried into Mandy dark locks and he wanted to walk over to them, but he kept still as Sayer approached the two.

"It's time go home, Akiza," he said, drapping his coat around her. "Don't worry, you did your best. Next time, you'll do better." As he started taking Akiza away, she stopped as her hand stayed connected to Mandy's and he looked at them.

"Promise me you'll be there when I need you most," she whispered.

Akiza nodded. "I promise..." She gave her one last hug goodbye before she left completely.

Everyone in the stadium stayed silent as Mandy watched Akiza leave with bitter tears.

"The winner of the duel is Yusei Fudo! He'll be moving on to the finals!"

Yusei walked up to Mandy and grabbed her shoulders to turn her around. They stared into one anothers eyes before they embraced each other.


	28. Mandy Vs Yusei

**I hope nobody cried at the last chapter, and yes, I know that some of you are upset about Mandy not hearing the confession, but she will soon. You just gotta be patient for a tad bit longer. Anyway, here's her final two duels!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own shit**

**Read and review. Or don't. I don't care-.-**

* * *

><p>Mandy put on her duel disk as both she and Yusei walked down the halls to her next duel, which she hoped to win. Yusei looked down at her in worry.<p>

"Mandy, about what I said about you," he started, only to earn a confused look from her.

"What did you say about me?" she asked.

At this, it was Yuseis turn to be confused. "You mean, you didn't hear?"

"I had left the room in the middle of the duel to the arena to try to stop Akiza, Yusei. I'm sorry I didn't get to hear anything, but you must've said something about me to try to calm her down, right?"

Yusei became sad this, but he hid it well and nodded. "Yeah, I thought if I talked about you that she would stop the destruction."

Mandy smiled. "Well, that's very sweet of you, Yusei." She soon began to run off and waved. "Wish me luck!"

Yusei waved at her with a smile, but frowned and sighed. She didn't hear his confession. What was he going to do now?

"Yusei!"

He turned around as he saw Mandy's friends running up to him.

"Is it really true about what you said?" Cayenne asked.

"Do you honestly love Mandy?" Alexa demanded.

Yusei looked at them nervously before he sighed. "Yes..."

They were silent for a few seconds before Yusei found himself covering his ears at their squealing in joy.

"Did you talk to her?" Cayenne asked excitedly.

"Yes, but she didn't hear it..."

"What!" Alexa shouted. "How could she not hear it? Was she asleep!?"

"She had already left to stop Akiza before she could hear anything."

Alexa face palmed herself and slid her hand down, while Cayenne had this look that said "you've gotta be kidding me".

"Why are you guys so upset about that?"

"Do you have any idea how long we've been waiting for a guy to actually admit their feelings in an actual way to her!" Alexa shouted at him. "You can't seriously be telling us that she didn't hear it!"

"Alexa, calm down," Cayenne said. "I can tell what he's saying is true."

Alexa huffed and crossed her arms.

"You're actually happy that I confessed?" Yusei asked.

"Duh! Of course we are! You're like the perfect guy for Mandy! All she could ever think about when we first met you was _you! _Yusei this and Yusei that!"

Cayenne giggled, but then became serious. "You have to tell her before it's too late."

"But how? What am I supposed to do? Ask her out?"

"Not today," Alexa said. "But if you plan on it in the future, take her out to watch the stars."

Cayenne smiled. "Her favorite flower is a white gardenia."

"She's not really much for bouquets, so just give her a few flowers."

"Once it's midnight, tell her how much you love her!"

Yusei took all of this advice in and nodded with a slight smile.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the last duel of the semi-finals is about to begin! Entering the arena, the disco master, the flaming dancer, Sorin, the disco guy!"

Sorin came out with his big orange afro and a red and black disco suit. He smiled as his trianglish glasses glamed in the light and he held his microphone to his mouth.

"New Domino City!" he shouted. "Are you ready to partyyyyyyy!"

The crowd cheered along with him.

"And his opponent, the princess of New Domino City, the heir to the throne of Games, Mandy Kuso!"

Mandy came up and waved as the crowd cheered even louder for her.

"Alright, let's boogey!" Sorin shouted, activating his duel disk.

Mandy sweat-dropped as she activated hers. "Yeah..."

Sorin: 4000  
>Mandy: 4000<p>

"The first move is mine! I draw! And I summon Melotune Siren(ATK 800/DEF 800) in defense mode, and by activatin' her special ability, she's able to sing her way to lower your life points by 100!"

Melotune Siren began to sing and a small music note made its way to Mandy and damaged her by blowing up in her face, causing her to try to block it.

Sorin: 4000  
>Mandy: 3900<p>

"Now by activatin' this spell card, Waves of Song, she gains a thousand more attack points, and then she'll give you 1000 points of damage. Go on and sing, little lady!"

Melotune Siren sang again and a bigger music note made its way to Mandy and caused a bigger explosion.

Sorin: 4000  
>Mandy: 2900<p>

"I then place three cards facedown and end my turn!"

"Good," Mandy said, drawing a card. "From my hand, I summon Kittybat in defense mode, then I summon Black Mage in attack mode. If you weren't paying attention in my last duel, she doubles her attack points in a summoning faze, which allows me to summon White Mage in defense mode. Then by activating Black Mages special ability, I switch my Kittybat in attack mode. I then place two cards facedown and end my turn."

Sorin smirked. "You must think you're slicker than slick, little lady, but you've only given me an advantage!"

Cayenne and Alexa came to their seats and everyone looked at them.

"So did you guys talk to Yusei about his confession?" Tanner asked.

"Turns out, Mandy had left the room before she could ever get a chance to hear it," Alexa replied.

"What?" Yanagi asked in shock. "How can she not hear it?"

"I still can't believe that he would even confess to her like that," Dexter said.

"But this is awesome though," Leo said in excitement. "Mandy finally has a special someone right here next her!"

Luna nodded in agreement with a smile, glad to know that her big sister finally has a knight in shining armor.

"Hah! You just walked right into my trap card, Disco Laser, which destroys one of your monsters and deals 700 points of damage!"

Disco Laser destroyed Black Mage and hit Mandy in her torso.

Sorin: 4000  
>Mandy: 2200<p>

"Wow, Sorin is not in the mood to give Mandy any chances to attack!"

"And she won't be gettin' any chances once I activate my other facedown, Disco Stars, which allows me to sacrifice Melotune Siren in order to advance summon, Inferno Master(ATK 3500/DEF 2700)!"

_Inferno Master is a level 9 fire attributed disco monster with 3500 attack points and 2700 defense points._

"Now, I activate my last facedown spell card, Disco Blast! With this little beauty, my monster gains 2000 attack points!"

Mandy became nervous _'Oh, man. Not good.'_

"Now as my monster will deal you some damage for each of his attack points, why don't I sing a little song!?"

Sweat-drop. "Are you serious?"

Just then the lights flashed onto him as the song 'Disco Inferno' began to start. Inferno Master raised his hands as they caught on fire.

"I hope you've good dancin' shoes, little lady. 'Cause it looks like you're gonna have to dance your way to avoid losin' life points!" Sorin laughed.

_(Burn baby burn)  
>(Burn baby burn)<br>(Burn baby burn)  
>(Burn baby burn)<em>

White Mage and Kittybat got ready to protect their master as she got herself ready to move. In the start of the song, Inferno Master shot out his flames into giant balls of fire.

_To my surprise, one hundred stories high  
>People getting loose y'all, getting down on the roof<br>Folks are screaming, out of control  
>It was so entertaining when the boogie started to explode<br>I heard somebody say_

He stopped singing for a moment when he noticed the force field around Mandy that was coming from White Mages harp.

"What is this?"

"This is one my Mages special abilities. For every spell card you activate, she gains 800 attack points."

"Hah! I'm afraid that won't help you, little lady. Inferno can destroy any monster that even tries to protect you. So you're gonna have to be on your own!"

The fireballs destroyed her White Mage, leaving her completely exposed.

_(Burn baby burn) disco inferno  
>(Burn baby burn) burn that mother down<br>(Burn baby burn) disco inferno  
>(Burn baby burn) burn that mother down<em>

"Wow! Our favorite disco guy is making our princess dance her way to get away from the bottom!"

Both Mandy's facedown and cat monster were destroyed, leaving her with only one facedown.

_Up above my head  
>I hear music in the air<br>That makes me know  
>There's a party somewhere<em>

It was a good thing that Mandy was in the city's martial arts team, otherwise she wouldn't be flexible or fast enough to dodge the fireballs.

"Hahah! Dance, little lady, dance!"

_I heard somebody say  
>(Burn baby burn) disco inferno<br>(Burn baby burn) burn that mother down  
>(Burn baby burn) disco inferno<br>(Burn baby burn) burn that mother down_

Once Mandy flipped over, she smiled.

"Sorry to interrupt your song, Sorin, but I'm activating my facedown trap card, Reversing Mirror. No matter how many attack points any monster has, the attack will still be reflected to them, so say goodbye to your Inferno Master!"

Reversing Mirror appeared and had one of the fireballs bounce back to both Inferno Master and Sorin, who screamed as it exploded in his face.

Sorin: 0  
>Mandy: 2200<p>

"Wow," Mandy said. "That was fast."

"The winner is, Mandy! She'll be going on to the finals to take on Yusei Fudo!"

"Huh... Who would've thought?"

As everyone was preparing for the finals, Mandy approached her father.

"Dad, we need to talk," she said.

Tom became surprised, but stood against the wall and listened.

"Dad, I made a request to turbo duel. I know you don't want me to get hurt like Mom did, but I'm not a child anymore, Dad. I want to be able to experience turbo dueling for as long as I can. Please, let me do this..."

Tom stayed silent for a moment before he walked up to his daughter and hugged her.

"Just promise me you won't get hurt," he whispered.

Mandy held onto him. "I promise."

"Yeah! It's finally here! The Fortune Cup finals! Now entering the arena for the final turbo duel, riding the Shooting Star is our very own, Mandy Kuso!"

Mandy shot out onto her duel runner as people began to cheer for her as she made it to the starting line.

"And challenging her is the Satellites shooting star, Yusei Fudo!"

Yusei shot out to get to her as he smiled.

"Mandy, after this duel, there's something I need to talk to you about," Yusei said.

"Later, after I win," Mandy said smugly, earning a smirk from him.

Their Speed World field spell was activated and the count down began.

_Ready. Set. Duel!_

And off they were.

Mandy: 4000  
>Yusei: 4000<p>

"Ladies first," Yusei said.

"You're too kind," Mandy replied, drawing a card. "I summon my Black Mage in attack mode, and she doubles in a summoning faze, which allows me to summon White Mage in defense mode. I'll then place one card facedown and end my turn."

"Not bad. It's my move, and I summon Speed Warrior in attack mode! Just like Black Mage, his attack points double up. Go Speed Warrior, attack!"

Speed Warrior made to attack Mandy, but was blocked by White Mages force field around her.

"Too bad he didn't get to attack me. White Mages attack points may be lower, but she can still use her special ability to protect me. Now I'm switching her to attack mode and taking out that Speed Warrior. Go, Harp Arrow!"

White Mage strummed her harp and released an arrow, which pierced Speed Warrior in his heart.

Mandy: 4000  
>Yusei: 3550<p>

"You're lucky that was only half the damage Black Mage could do, Yusei."

"Pretty much. I place one card facedown and end my turn."

"How cute. I summon my Rainbow Pixie in attack mode, and thanks to her special ability, I get to draw another card and add it to my hand. Now I'll tune in my Rainbow Pixie with my Black and White Mages in order to synchro summon Rainbow Sorceress! Let's put on a little magic show, shall we?"

Rainbow Sorceress' crystal dress sparkled as a rainbow trailed behind her.

"And then I activate my facedown speed spell, Rainbow Bridge, which will allow my Sorceress to double up her attack points!"

"It's my move then, and I summon Junk Synchron in attack mode. And thanks to his special ability, I get to summon another monster from my graveyard. So say hello again to Speed Warrior. Next I tune in Junk Synchron with my Speed Warrior in order to syncrho summon, Junk Warrior! Let's rev it up!"

Mandy smirked as Junk Warrior appeared.

"You really think that warrior's strong enough to beat my sorceress?"

"Yeah, especially if I play the facedown trap card, Strength Drain(**A/N **This is not one of his original cards, it's a new one I made up. Just to clear that out), which will drain the strength of your sorceress to its original number of attack points."

Mandy watched as the Rainbow Bridge disappeared and her sorceress' attack became normal, making her smile.

"Well then, since it's my move now, I'll use the trap card, Cage of Never Ending Battles, which means by sacrificing 500 life points, both of our monsters are going to be the ones fighting until one of us loses their whole life points first. The good thing is that every time one of our monsters is hit, we deal 200 points of damage."

Yusei smiled. "Then I guess my Junk Warrior is going to have to go all out, and not hold back."

Junk Warrior got into a fighting stance as well as Rainbow Sorceress as a red ring surrounded them.

"This is gonna be fun!" Mandy said with a smile.

The two monsters began fighting roughly as the never ending battle began. Like Mandy had said, if one monster was hit, the duelist would deal 200 points of damage. They went on and on for what seemed like forever. After four more hits to Rainbow Sorceress, Mandy's runner broke down.

Mandy: 0  
>Yusei: 250<p>

Mandy took off her helmet and looked at her runner in slight disappointment. Yusei rode up to her with a small smile and she smiled back at him.

"Well, looks like I won't be keeping my promise today," she said sadly.

"It's not too late to have a rematch," Yusei said.

"No, you have to beat Jack now. So what did you want to tell me?"

"Well, what I said to Akiza was-"

Before he could continue, Mandy was grabbed from behind.

"Hey!"

"Sorry, but Director Rex Goodwin wants to see you now."

"Hey, stop! Let go of me!"

As the men in black(snicker) began to take her away, Yusei tried to get to them.

"Yusei, no! Get the others outta here first!"

He watched her be taken in uncertainty before going for the others.


	29. The Fortune Cup Finale Part 1

**Here's the moment you've all been waiting for! What moment you ask? Figure it the hell out! Almost done with this story, YAY!XD Ugh, I'm getting girly here XP**

**Disclaimer: I don't own this shit**

**Read and review. Or don't. I don't care-.-**

* * *

><p>Mandy struggled to get out of the hold of the men in black(snicker) as she was being carried to Goodwin by force. The men in black(snicker) were having a hard time with keeping their hold on her tight due to her struggling hard, but they managed to get her through the elevator.<p>

"Put me down, you creeps!"

They ignored her demand as the door opened and they brought her to the director.

"Good to see you, Miss Kuso," Goodwin greeted with a smile. "I see that you have recovered from yesterdays events."

Mandy felt their hands loosen and she kicked away one of them before she landed on her feet, grabbed the others hand, then flipped him over. Once they were both unconscious, Mandy gave him a heated glare.

"What the hell's the big idea, Goodwin!"

"Patience, Miss Kuso, all will come to you once Yusei comes."

"Guys!" Yusei said, running up to the others. "Listen, you have to get Luna outta here."

"Yusei," Yanagi said, "Luna's got a mark. She's a Signer just like you!"

"That's why you need to get her out of here like now! I'm thinking it's dangerous for us Signers to be near each other. Look at what happened with my last duel with Akiza."

"Yusei," Luna said, "do you know what's going on here?"

"I'll tell you what I find out once I see Goodwin, but for now go to Blisters place." He started running off to help Mandy. "And don't stop for anyone."

Everyone looked towards each other in uncertainty.

"I'm sure everything's going to be okay," Yanagi said with a slight smile. "We better do what he says, kids. Follow me and stay close behind."

The kids and the girls did what he said and followed him down the halls until they were stopped by the men in black(snicker).

"Stop right there!"

The kids seemed panicked as the girls took their fighting stance.

"You weren't planning to leave, were you?" Lazar said, walking up to them.

"Hmph, and what if we were?" Tanner mocked.

"Well, Director Goodwin would like you to stay and enjoy the rest of the tournament," Lazar said laughing.

"You can tell Goodwin that we're sick of him telling people what to do," Alexa said. "You want us to stay? You're gonna have to make us. But that might not be easy, since Cay and I are black belts in the city's martial arts team, and so is Mandy!"

"Say did you know that Yusei has friends back at the Satellite Sector?"

They gasped as Lazar laughed.

"I heard that they went missing a few days ago. I hope nothing bad happens to them. So I think it would be best if you returned to your seats now."

Yusei ran to the entrance to the tower and the guards tried to stop him.

"Hey, hold it! The director's not expecting you!"

Yusei ran to the first guard to punch him and then punched and kicked the next. "Sorry, but he's got some explaining to do!"

Once they were both knocked out, he ran inside to the elevator.

Trudge had come in and saw Mandy up there, but paid no attention to her as he bowed.

"Director, look, sir, there's something I've gotta say," he said, getting the directors attention. "It's my official position that you need to stop this tournament."

"I thought your official position was mall security," Goodwin commented.

Mandy glared at him, not finding his comment about Trudge very funny since she didn't trust him.

"Very funny, but I feel this tournament is cursed or something. I mean, you witnessed the damage of the last duel. I'm concerned things are gonna get worse!"

"Officer, I don't pay you to be concerned."

"But, sir-"

"I pay you to do what I _say. _And as for what you think, if I was going to pay someone to do some thinking, it most certainly would not be you. Langly, please escort Officer Trudge out."

"Is Langly one of the guys guarding the door?"

Everyone looked to see Yusei standing there with a serious expression. Mandy could barely believe her eyes. When she said get everyone out, she also meant himself too!

"Yusei!"

"'Cause he's, uh, he's napping."

Yusei walked up to Trudge, who glared.

"What're you doing up here, punk!"

"That's enough," Goodwin said as two guards came up to Trudge. Goodwin got up and looked at Yusei with a sly grin. "How can I help you, Yusei?"

"Before I say, weren't you gonna throw _him _out?"

Mandy giggled as Trudge growled and grabbed his jacket. Goodwin nodded and the guards grabbed Trudge to pull him out.

"That's it, Goodwin!" Trudge shouted. "I'm gonna figure out what you're up to! You're going down! You're gonna-" His last sentence was interrupted when the doors closed to a ding.

Mandy kept giggling as Jack glared at Yusei, but he smirked down at her before grabbing her chin and making her look at him.

"You know, you're very cute when you laugh," he said, leaning down to kiss her.

Mandy glared before she twisted his arm, grabbed his head, and then slammed it against the window. Mina gasped in shock as Jack howled and grabbed his now red forehead.

"You don't get to touch me _ever!_" Mandy hissed, pointing an accusing finger at him.

She then walked up to Yusei and looked into his eyes before hugging him. He slowly returned the embrace as his arms snaked around her waist and one of his hands strokes her dark hair.

"I'm glad you're ok," he whispered in her ear, causing her to blush before pulling away.

As they both looked at Goodwin, Yusei spoke, "Time to talk. You forced me into this tournament. You threatened me and you locked up my friends." Mandy gave him a sad look as her own way of saying sorry. "I want to know the truth. I'm not dueling Jack until you tell me why you've done this!"

"Hah!" Jack laughed, making everyone look at him. "Are you dense, Yusei?" Jack pulled off his... Uh, glove to show his mark. "It's because of this! This mark!"

Yusei gasped. "So I wasn't seeing things before."

"He wants the Crimson Dragons power. So he's been trying to gather everyone with its mark, and he also wanted to see if Mandy had the Eyes. He got me here by lying to me, and buttering me up and manipulating me."

"Oh, come on," Goodwin said with a grin. "You're making me sound so devious. Jack, you wanted to be the turbo duel champion."

Jack glared. "Yeah, but I wanted to earn that title. At this point, I'm starting to think that you've been rigging everything. I think you're little plan involves setting me up as bait for Yusei."

Yusei glared.

"Goodwin knew you would come after me if I did exactly as he asked me to. Isn't that right, Director?"

"Don't be ridiculous. I didn't even know about Yusei until you dueled him that night in the arena, nor did I plan on seeing Miss Kuso there either. I assumed that she was at home doing her homework."

"Do you honestly expect me to believe that it was just some big coincidence? You needed to verify that Yusei had a mark, so that you needed him and I to duel with passion. So you created a situation at which the stakes would be as high as possible."

Jack began to explain everything from what happened two years ago. How Ralley owed him for saving his hide, and how he had met Lazar, who said that Goodwin could offer him great things. How he kidnapped Ralley in order to steal Yuseis old runner and his Stardust Dragon.

Mandy couldn't help but feel a little guilty for all the mean things she's said about Jack. Although it was true that he was still arrogant, she could see that he really did want to earn the title of turbo dueling champion.

"Goodwin would never have made you the same offer, because you wouldn't have left your friends behind. Not for fame and fortune anyway. I, on the other hand, walked right into it, and by tricking me into taking your card, he gave you a reason to come after me. And I think that brings us all up to speed more or less." Jack put his glove back on and looked at Goodwin. "I have a demand to make. You got what you wanted. He's here, right? Let his friends go. He doesn't need to be coerced. I want this duel to be legit. No threats, no gimmicks. Just us."

Goodwin still had his smile on him. "If that is what my champion wants, then so be it."

Jack nodded before looking at Yusei. "And another thing, I'd like to add in an extra prize to our little wager, Yusei. That was brave of you to say that little confession of yours out loud to the world. So whoever wins this duel not only gets Stardust Dragon," he pointed to Mandy, "but gets Mandy Kuso, too!"

Mandy became shocked before she glared. "I'm not some prize, Jack! You can't keep treating me like a trophy!" She looked at Yusei. "And another thing, when I said get everyone out of here, I was talking about you too, Yusei! Why did you come back for me?"

Yusei looked down at her before he took her face in his hands.

"Because I love you..."

Mandy's eyes widened as he brushed his lips against hers in a soft kiss, then soon found herself closing her eyes and kissing back, putting her hands on his wrists. Both of their hearts began beating at a rapid pace as they kissed. Jacks eyes widened in shock before he seethed in rage and clenched his fists. Mina was shocked, but she thought it was a very sweet sight. Goodwin frowned as if he knew it was coming.

They slowly pulled away from each other before he pressed his forehead against hers and left. She brought a hand up to touch her lips. Never had she ever thought of her first kiss being Yusei.

Jack angrily walked up to her and whispered in her ear. "Better enjoy it while it lasts. Because once I win this duel, you're _mine!_" With that said, he left.

Mandy had barely paid attention to him and to Mina as she walked after him. Mandy seemed to ponder on her first kiss before she smiled and blushed.

"The time has come! The final showdown is about to begin! Satellites very own, Yusei Fudo, has won the chance to take on Jack Atlas!"

Yusei went up to the starting line.

"There he is," Luna said worriedly.

"I wonder if Goodwin told him what he wanted to know," Tanner said.

Yusei watched his friends from his monitor. "They're okay."

"Are you happy?" Jack asked from the other line. "You finally have the chance to settle the score with me."

"I guess so."

"Yusei," Mandy called from behind the broken glass.

Yusei looked at her as she walked up to him.

"I love you, too..." She gave him a peck on his lips to prove it, and he smiled, which she returned until Jack showed up.

"This is it," Jack said harshly. "I'm finally going to show you that you don't have what it takes to be the best, Yusei. You never have!"

"Are you sure we should be doing this right now, Jack?" Yusei asked. "There's still a lot we don't know about the Crimson Dragon."

Jack laughed. "This exactly what I'm talking about, Yusei. You have not guts! You never want to take any risks! Don't you wanna reveal the fifth Signer?"

_'The fifth Signer?' _Yusei thought. _'He's right. Yanagi said there were five marks of the dragon. So there's me, Luna, Jack, and Akiza. So Jack's right. So that means there's one more Signer in the arena! But who is it?'_

_'The fifth Signer isn't here in the arena, is he, Crimson Dragon?' _Mandy asked the dragon.

_No, child. He is within the Satellite. There is something that I must show all of you once the duel begins, my dear, Mandy. Something terrible is about to happen to your mothers home._

Mandy became worried as she started to walk off out of the road, but Jack pulled her back.

"Remember what I said, love."

Mandy glared before she snatched her arm away and walked off.

"Alright, it's time to activate the Speed World field spell!"

_Duel mode engaged. Autopilot standing by._

"This is the moment! Will Jack Atlas be able to reign as the King of turbo duels? Or will he be dethroned by Satellite shooting star? It's time to find out!"

Once they shot off, Mandy climbed onto the top of the glass for a better view. Hard to believe that it was dejavou. Holy shit, I'm rhyming!

Jack: 4000  
>Yusei: 4000<p>

"Admit it, Yusei. The roar of the crowd is more appealing than the scamper of the rats."

"Let's just duel. I'm summoning out my Shield Wing(DEF 900) in defense mode! Next I place two cards facedown and end my turn."

"In that case, I summon Twin Sword Marauder(ATK 1600) in attack mode! You may have just scrapped your way to the title match, but those other duelists were just amateurs compared to me. Now allow my Twin Sword Marauder to give you a proper welcome to the big leagues, Yusei."

Twin Sword Marauder attacked Shield Wing, but even if he wasn't destroyed, Yusei still lost his life points.

Jack: 4000  
>Yusei: 3300<p>

"You haven't grown a bit as a duelist since the days of riding around in the sewers. I can still anticipate your game and stay two steps ahead of you!"

"Then you should know that Shield Wing can't be destroyed in one attack, and it has to be defeated twice!"

"I do know that, and when Twin Sword Marauder attacks a monster in defense mode, he can attack again!"

Yusei became shocked.

"I said that I was two steps ahead of you, Yusei, not just one. Go, Double Marauder Mayhem!"

Marauder attacked Shield Wing again, but it was not destroyed and Yusei lost more life points.

Jack: 4000  
>Yusei: 2600<p>

"And to end my turn, I place one card facedown." Jack looked at his cards. _'I already have the card in my hand that will lead to my victory and win Mandy over, and settle this matter once and for all!' _"You can't defeat me, Yusei!"

"We'll see, Jack!" He looked at the card he drew. _'Meteor Stream. Jack might be expecting this since I beat him with it before. So I better hold up on using it for now.' _"From my hand, I summon Junk Synchron! And now I'm gonna tune in my Junk Synchron with my Shield Wing in order to synchro summon Junk Warrior! Let's rev it up!"

_Junk Warrior is a level 5 dark attribute warrior type synchro monster with 2300 attack points and 1300 defense points._

"Now take out that Marauder!"

With little difficulty, Junk Warrior destroyed Twin Sword Marauder.

Jack: 3300  
>Yusei: 2600<p>

"Next I activate my trap card, Synchro Blast!" Syncrho Blast revealed itself and blasted Jack. "Now when my warrior attacks, Synchro Blast can slam you with 500 points of damage!"

Jack:2800  
>Yusei: 2600<p>

"Now you're dueling, Yusei, but you won't be for long. Because from my hand, I summon Dark Tinker(ATK 100). Then I'll activate the Powerful Rebirth trap card! And with this card, I can re-summon Twin Sword Marauder from my graveyard."

"Alright, Dark Tinker is only level 3," Tanner said, "and that Sword Marauder's a level 4! So he hasn't got the power that he needs to summon his Red Dragon Archfiend! This is your chance, Yusei!"

"Now with the monster resurrected, my Powerful Rebirth gains 1000 attack points, and its level increases by 1!"

"What!?"

"You were saying, Tanner!?" Alexa yelled.

"Yusei, I'm the best turbo duelist New Domino City has ever seen! And that move I just made, was an example as why I'm the champ! And now I'm going to show you why I'm gonna remain a champ! I synchro summon Red Dragon Archfiend!"

Red Dragon Archfiend roared in all his glory.

"Man, he's not wasting any time!"

_'Back in the Satellite, I knew that in order to realize my full potential, and to climb up from the bottom of the world, I had to throw away everything. I had to turn my back on the Satellite, on my friends. Nothing was more important to me than being the best. But now here you come. You're trying to take me down? You're not a real duelist. You haven't had to sacrifice anything! You always put dueling second! Well, I'm finally going to put you in your place, and prove to Mandy that I'm a better man for her than you are!'_


	30. The Fortune Cup Finale part 2

**Whoa! Calm down, people! Yes, there will be a sequel. I'm really tired of seeing my unfinished stories and I seriously want to finish at least one of them. If there were a lot of people who thought I was going to put all five seasons in one freaking thing, you must have lost your minds!**

**Disclaimer: for future references, I don't own any of this shit!**

**Read and review. Or don't. I don't care-.-**

* * *

><p>"Welcome back to the Fortune Cup finale, where the Master of Faster, Jack Atlas, already has a commanding league! Can the Satellite Shooting Star, Yusei Fudo, catch up, or will tis be his final lap? Let's watch and see."<p>

Luna gasped. "What's that?"

They all looked up at the darkening clouds gathering in the sky.

"I don't think the forecast calls for scary purple clouds," Leo said.

"It's a sign!" Yanagi said nervously. "The Crimson Dragon is coming, and if he's coming, then we should all get going!"

"Take it easy, gramps," Tanner said calmly. "I mean, it's probably just some massive rain drifting in from the Satellite."

Mandy could feel her pupils turn into slits as she felt the dragons presence beginning to appear.

"It's my turn, Jack!" Yusei shouted. _'And it's time I even up the playing field!' _"First I'll activate my trap, Descending Lost Star!"

_Descending Lost Star let's you bring a synchro monster back from your graveyard, but its level is reduced by one and its defense points become 0._

"So now, by powering down my Junk Warrior, I can then bring it back out to my field! Then I summon Hyper Synchron! And now tune in my Junk Warrior with my Hyper Synchron in order to synchro summon Stardust Dragon! Let's rev it up!"

As Stardust Dragon appeared, everyones marks glowed and Mandy's eyes burned, but the pain faded as quickly as it appeared.

"Welcome to the playing field, Stardust," Jack greeted with a smirk.

"My arm's glowing!"

"This is the moment we've been waiting for! So get ready, because these two beasts are about to battle it out!"

"And now, Hyper Synchrons special ability activates! You see, Jack, when it's part of a synchron summon, the new monster gets 800 attack points. So now my Stardust Dragon's get 3300!"

"Well then, I guess I'll play my trap card, Tuner Capture! This enables me to control the monster you used to make your synchro summon happen. What goes around, comes around, Yusei."

"Whoa! While Yuseis Hyper Synchron goes (some word I didn't understand), Jack out-monsters him two to one!"

"Well then, Stardust Dragon! Why don't you even up the playing field!?"

Stardust Dragon roared in agreement as he was about to attack.

"Come on, that pathetic dragon's no match for me and my deck! I trigger the trap card, Tuners Mind! And this is just one example of why I'm the Master of Faster, and you're a worthless wannabe. Now I can detune my dragon to double my defense."

_'Aw, man,' _Yusei thought in dismay. _'If I don't take out his Twin Sword Marauder, he'll just use it bring in Red Dragon Archfiend all out over again next round. Guess that just leaves me one thing to do.' _"Stardust Dragon, attack Twin Sword Marauder with Cosmic Flare!"

Stardust Dragon made to attack Twin Sword Marauder, but instead destroyed Dark Tinker.

"No way!"

"Surprise, surprise! See my card forces you to attack my Dark Tinker. When are you gonna learn that you'll never be a match for me, Yusei? I'll beat you in front of the whole world, just like I took your dragon. And now that it's been helping me with my synchro summon, I get the benefits of its power as well. Remember, after I win this, your Stardust Dragon is mine and so is Mandy. Ready?"

"Bring it!"

"Consider it brought!"

Red Dragon Archfiend made to attack Stardust Dragon with a flaming punch, but he was able to block it and stay safe.

"It looks like you've forgotten that since Hyper Synchron was used, neither dragon can be destroyed now."

Jack: 2800  
>Yusei: 1400<p>

"Good thing I got this then. My trap, Field Cannon! Now you lose 500 life points because I couldn't destroy your monster!"

Jack: 2800  
>Yusei: 900<p>

Mandy clenched her hands into fists.

Then a flash of red lightning struck down into the arena.

"Here it comes!"

"The Crimson Dragon!"

The Crimson Dragon roared once its body had appeared and Mandy became scared at the situation.

"I-I see it, but I do not believe it!"

"The Crimson Dragon!" Yanagi said in fear. "It's huge!"

Luna looked down at her mark. "My arm, it's glowing again."

The Crimson Dragon soon spotted Mandy on the top of the glass, and she looked back at it as her eyes glowed red.

"Crimson Dragon, welcome to my arena!" Jack greeted it. "Now watch and witness how your future master rules this duel!"

"Jack, be careful!" Yusei warned. "The Crimson Dragon could rip this place apart, and everyone in it!"

"Don't tell me you're scared? I am a Signer, Yusei Fudo, and this is my destiny. Goodwin told that the power of the Crimson Dragon will help me save this world!"

_'And it shall, Jack' _Goodwin thought, _'but you shall not fight the darkness that is coming alone. Legend has it that once all five Signers and the Eye Keeper are gathered, the future can be revealed. So with the power **I **possess as the fifth Signer, I will now show you what our enemy plans.'_

Mandy's heart beated as the Crimson Dragon came towards her. _'Goodwin's the fifth Signer?'_

_Not exactly, child. I had never chosen him. He only acts as a temporary Signer. You shall see the true fifth Signer soon enough._

The Crimson Dragon roared as it swirled around the dome and caused a powerful gust of wind.

_Now let me show you the future of the Satellites fate._

"What's going on!?"

As Jack and Yusei were whisked away by the dragon, the other two Signers and the Eye Keeper had suddenly vanished. At this, they all found themselves in outer space, the three girls floating in the air and the two duelists riding a yellow path.

"Where are we?" Yusei asked in confusion.

"Beats me," Jack replied.

"Where's the stadium?" Luna asked. She looked to Akiza and Mandy. "What's going on?"

"I don't know," Akiza answered.

"Look a red star," Mandy called, making the other two girls follow her sight.

Suddenly a temple came up with the star and they all stared in bewilderment.

"Look there," Jack called.

"Akiza, Mandy," Luna said. "I'm scared."

They all saw people bowing at the bottom of the temple as six more people were at the top, five in front of one.

"Yusei, they look exactly like the people of the stars," Jack said.

"What're they doing here?" Yusei asked.

As they rode above them, Yusei looked down saw that the five of the six people had marks as they did.

"Hey, Jack, they're all Signers!"

"Like us! Goodwin told me about these people. He said somehow we're all linked to the Crimson Dragon."

Mandy could see behind the five Signers, a young woman dressed in white robes and her eyes crimson as well as hers.

"Guys, that woman behind them has the Eyes," Mandy said. "Just like me."

"That must've been the Eye Keeper before you," Akiza said in astonishment.

They soon came across the streets of the Satellite.

"Down there looks a lot like the Satellite, Jack," Yusei said.

Mandy saw this, and to her utter horror, her mothers old home became engulfed in purple flames.

Luna gasped. "What's happening!?"

"Luna, Mandy, look there," Akiza said. "Is that a giant spider surrounding New Domino City?"

Mandy was in too much shock at the sight of the Satellite being destroyed to answer her psychic friend.

"I can't believe this is happening!" Yusei exclaimed. "We have to stop it!"

"It can't be real," Jack said in disbelief. "It must be the future."

"Well, if that's the future, then we better stop this duel right now! We gotta get home!"

"We will, once we finish this."

"What?"

"Yusei, this is a duel. The Crimson Dragon won't let either of us go back until one of wins."

"Come on!"

"Don't you get it? Dueling brought us here, and dueling's what's gonna get us back home. And whoever wins will show the Crimson Dragon they deserve the power to save the world. And I'm gonna be that person! Not only that, but the winner will get Mandy Kusos heart too. I throw down two facedowns."

Yusei couldn't help but feel angry. "Let tell you a little something, Jack. Mandy Kuso is not your property! Plus, you're nuts! But if you wanna keep dueling, you're gonna get more than you bargained for, Jack! I just activated Silver Contrails! It gives 1000 more attack points to any wind monster on my field, and guess what my mighty beast is. Stardust Dragon, attack Red Dragon Archfiend and take us home!"

Stardust Dragon blew his Cosmic Flare at Archfiend, and Jack not only lost his life points, but also felt pain.

Jack: 1800  
>Yusei: 900<p>

_'That attack,' _Jack thought. _'I can feel it! It was real! I guess the Crimson Dragon wants Yusei and I to play for keeps. Well, that's just fine by me!'_

"Next I activate my trap, Synchro Blast!"

Jack then felt more pain than before as he lost 500 life points.

Jack: 1300  
>Yusei: 900<p>

"And you thought I had short memory. Since Hyper Synchron helped both our dragons out, neither one can be destroyed in battle."

Yusei took a look at the last three cards in his hand before grabbing them. "I'll throw down three facedowns and end my turn."

_'Three facedowns. Looks like Yusei's making his big move. Too bad it's too late. No matter what he's got, speed spell, Overburst, will destroy it!' _"Here we go! I can't slay your dragon, but I can still take out your life points. Go, Red Dragon Archfiend!"

Red Dragon Archfiend attacked Yusei, which caused him to feel pain.

Jack: 1300  
>Yusei: 400<p>

All three girls watched in shock.

"Yusei!"

"He's really hurt! It's just like when I duel people!"

"Yeah, but this is worse!"

"What was that? I could feel his attack."

"That's right, Yusei. This duel is winner take all!"

"Jack, the damage we take in this duel is real!"

"That's right, pal! And now you'll what it's like to duel with more than just your life points on the line."

"You don't know if that's true, but if it is, then I plan on defending myself. I activate my trap, Cross Line Counter! Now if I take battle damage during your turn, I get to double it and add it as attack points. Plus, now my dragon gets to attack you."

"Well, what're you waitin' for?"

"Stardust Dragon, let's not keep him waiting any longer!"

Stardust Dragon didn't hesitate in attacking Red Dragon Archfiend, and Jack once again felt pain.

Jack: 800  
>Yusei: 400<p>

"Jack!"

"Don't worry about me, in fact, you should be a lot concerned with yourself! I activate the speed spell, Overboost!" Jack took off at the speed of light. "So I get four extra speed counters this round, nearly maxing me out!"

"With that kind of power, there' no telling what he'll play next."

"That's right. So get ready for me to call on one of my favorites. Now, from my hand, I play the speed spell, End of the Storm! And with the power of this card, Yusei, I can outwit you in your place. And since first place is gonna be all mine, I guess that you'll have to settle for second!"

"I'm not settling for anything, Jack! And that's because Stardust Dragons special ability can counter your End of Storm!"

He proved this by having Stardust fade into nothing.

"Perhaps, but at what cost? Just look, that counter only works if you sacrifice Stardust, and with him gone, you're wide open. Making this the perfect time to use my favorite trap, Sneak Exploder! So during your next standby faze, you lose 500 life points for every monster on my field. And since I've got one, that means your life points don't stand a chance."

"Oh, no!" Luna said. "That'll finish Yusei off in next round, he'll lose!"

"Then I better keep this round goin. So I activate Stardust Dragons special ability, and bring him back to the field. And then I'll activate Meteor Stream!"

_Meteor Stream is a trap card that deals 1000 points of damage to your opponent when you re-summon a monster that was released during the same turn._

"Stardust Dragon, end this now!"

Stardust Dragon released the meteors from his body.

"Just what I was waiting for!"

"Huh?"

"There's a reason I have a check. Jack Atlas is destined for great things, while you're just destined for defeat. This adventure's over! I play Crimson Fire! Not only does it block your 1000 point trap, but it boomerangs it right back to you, and doubles the damage. Goodbye, Yusei!"

Red Dragon Archfiend released the power of Meteor Stream and aimed it at Yusei, causing Luna and Mandy to gasp.

"Watch out!"

"Yusei!"

But just as the attack was coming at him...

"Sorry, Jack, but I play my trap, Shining Silver Force, which douses your comeback and destroys all the traps and spells on your field!"

Jack growled in aggravation. "You're still as annoying as ever."

"I never was one to give up, and with your speed counters about to run out of gas, I don't plan on starting anytime soon."

Jack started to lose control of his speed and he started slowing down, allowing Yusei to pass him.

"How's the new view?" Both men glared at one another before Yusei rode off. "See ya, Jack! Time to get us home! I play my trap, Final Attack! And since I have eight speed counters, the attacks of my Stardust Dragon are doubled!"

"5000!? It's too powerful!"

Archfiend seemed to growl in agreement.

"I don't wanna hurt you, Jack, but if ending this duel is the only way to get home, then I gotta attack. Stardust Dragon, take out his life points!"

Stardust Dragon did Yuseis bidding and used Cosmic Flare to end both Red Dragon Archfiend and Jacks life points, who screamed in agony as the pain engulfed him.

Soon they were all back in reality and Jack crashed. Yusei skidded to a stop and panted. Mandy panted as well before jumping off from her place at the glass.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we seem to be experiencing some technical difficulties at this moment. Your patience if appreciated as we try to sort this matter out. Can someone tell me why these two dragons have been frozen in midair!? Get the director on the line!"

However, both dragons soon faded.

Mandy looked at the scoreboard and saw that Yusei had won again. She wanted to smile at that, but once she saw how badly Jack was hurt, she ran over to him and got on her knees in worry.

"Jack!"

Yusei heard her cry and ran over to them. "Are you okay!"

Jack struggled as he looked at his old friend. "You beat me... I don't know how you did it, Yusei, but you're the champ now..."

"Don't strain yourself," Mandy said. Sure she disliked him greatly, but that didn't mean she wasn't worried for his well being. She supposed that she did care about him in a way.

"If that vision is true, none of this matters," Yusei stated. "Because it looks like we all might lose. We're in danger, and our cities might be destroyed, and we have to unite to stop it from happening."

Mandy nodded in agreement.

"You always wanted to be a hero... Now here's your chance..." Those were his last words before he passed out.

Mandy almost felt like crying at this. It almost reminded her of her mothers death. But Jack was only badly injured and not on the verge of death, so it relaxed her a little bit.

"Has anyone heard from the director!"

Goodwins image came up. "The duel's over. The winner's Yusei, tell them all."

"Uh! It's over! Yusei is our winner! From the refuge of refugee rows, from the slums of Satellite, he now reigns supreme! I proudly present New Domino City's newest hero, Yusei Fudo!"

_To be continued..._

* * *

><p><strong><em>Ending point- Shining Sky on the G String<em>**

**_Yume miru itsumo no sakamichi  
>Sakura iro shita kaze mo tokimeiteru<br>Koi suru mitsubachi no hanauta  
>Nē nē kikoeru?<em>**

**_Ashioto wa _staccato_ de  
>Odoru kage sae mo mabushii toki mōsugu<br>_Sunny day_ hikari kagayaku kimi no yume wa  
>Nanairo ni kakeru hikōki gumo<em>**

**_Ima hajimeyō akubi shiteru baai janai  
>Dare mo shiranai michi<br>Ukiuki toka wakuwaku toka  
>Tsumekonde te wo tsunaide sa<em>**

**_Hajikeru ashioto de _march_  
>Kakurenbo suru nioi wa <em>time machine<em>  
><em>Smile<em> ano kumo ni ukabete  
>Sā sā maunda!<em>**

**_Utagoe wa _crescendo_ de  
>Hidamari wo yobiyoseru <em>melody<em> atsumete  
><em>Shiny Sky<em> kirari kirameku yume wo susumu  
>Harebare to sora oyogu hikōsen<em>**

**_Ima tobidasō  
>Kaze ni norereba ī janai<br>Mita koto no nai asa  
>Sowasowa shite dokidoki shite<br>Itazura na kutsu haite sa_**

**_Michishirube wa iranai  
><em>Rhythm<em> kara kizandeku, soreha  
>Haruka kanata kara no otogibanashi to<br>Mikansei na asu ga kanaderu uta_**

**_Tebyōshi wa _ensemble_ de  
>Aoi hoshi onaka sukasete hora mezameru<br>_Lucky Star_ yurari yurameku yume no hate wa  
>Azayaka ni omoi egakeba<br>Te no todoku kyori ni atta  
>Jiyū ni jiyū ni sakihokori irozuku<em>**

**_Ima hajimeyō akubi shiteru baai janai  
>Dare mo shiranai michi<br>Ukiuki toka wakuwaku toka  
>Tsumekonde te wo tsunaide sa<em>**

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><p><strong>Yeah, that song really does go with this story. Thanks for showing the song, Queen of Water!XD<strong>


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